


Send Him Flowers (Drabbles)

by JalTheJinxed



Series: SHF [2]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aaravos ships it, Alternate Universe, Baby Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Cussing, Dark Magic, Dumb movie references, Ethari is oblivioius, Ibis is the mom friend, M/M, Mentioned Zubeia (The Dragon Prince), Mild Fantasy Violence, Monsters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Runaan is pining, aaravos wants attention, ethari is the only one who remotely has his shit together, ibis and runaan share an appartment, ibis brings home stray animals, magical girl au, mentioned death, nothing too intense tho cause author is weak, runaan attends college out of spite, set in Elarion, the magical girls fight the spawns and dark mages, they're all idiots, when someone uses dark magic a spawn is created
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 38,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24017233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JalTheJinxed/pseuds/JalTheJinxed
Summary: "In this world there is magic. It's powerful, unpredictable, beautiful, destructive. People will tell you it's dangerous- And they're not wrong, but anything can be dangerous when used a certain way. That's why there are magical girls, people trained in magic to deal with magic, because tasers and guns just don't cut it, because bullets and batons can't save Elarion."-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A series of drabbles in no particular order based off a short comic series I was making before my art tablet went feral :,)
Relationships: Aaravos & Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Ethari & Aaravos (The Dragon Prince), Ethari & Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Ibis & Aaravos (The Dragon Prince), Ibis & Ethari (The Dragon Prince), Ibis & Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Series: SHF [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902925
Comments: 10
Kudos: 13





	1. What Could Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ibis asks Runaan to take the dogs to their vet appointment, but when he and Ethari stumble upon an aggressive creature roaming under the city there's a change of plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to try and improve my writing so *gestures vaguely* here you go!

Things had certainly gotten… _interesting_ sense Runaan had re-entered Ethari's life, but he wasn't about to complain. The man carried an air about him that seemed to attract conflict- or perhaps he was just good at finding it- but either way, every moment spent with Runaan seemed to lead up to some sort of crescendo where there would be a battle or argument or revelation or an excuse to smack Aaravos upside the head. Even in peaceful moments where no ingredients of peril were known, some breed of storm seemed to brew in the distance no matter what. It was dangerous, to say the least, to continue to associate with this man and to continue to keep him in his life, but there was something so despondent about the thought of pushing Runaan away like Ethari knew a wiser man would do, or letting Runaan push himself away as he had tried before on multiple occasions and continued to do. But despite Runaan's attempts to distance himself, he seemed to enjoy Ethari's company and sought him out on his own accord quite often. Or at least Ethari hoped Runaan enjoyed his company, otherwise he had become quite the nuisance to the long haired man.

"Language," Ethari chided with a fond smile as another string of curse words left Runaan's lips. "There are children present."

Ethari looked between the puppy curled in his arms and Runaan with his brows drawn up and a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Runaan paused in his pursuit of a second puppy that had refused to sit still since Ethari had gotten to the apartment and stared at Ethari with his brows drawn together and his lips pressed in a line. Ethari chuckled warmly and waved Runaan over.

"Come here, I'll trade you." He offered.

Runaan looked back to the puppy darting around his apartment before reluctantly nodding and passing Ethari a leash and collar in exchange for the pup in the other man's arms.

"I don't know why he thought it'd be a good idea to bring the whole box home..." Runaan huffed as he watched Ethari coo at the puppy and try to pick it up.

"Ibis has a big heart," Ethari hummed as he watched the puppy wedge itself under the sofa. "No shelter around here would take them in the condition you told me they were in, and there's no way he'd leave you on your own just to find one that would with the mission and all. Besides, magic heals better than most medicine from what I understand, and look at these little guys!" The puppy had crawled out from under the couch and Ethari took the chance to scoop it up in his arms. "What happy healthy cuties!"

The puppy woofed, tail wagging as it licked his chin. Runaan let out a soft huff of a laugh and looked to the dog resting in his own arm.

"I suppose, but…" He looked around the apartment, the faint smile upon his lips clashing with his uncertain gaze. "It might be starting to go a bit too far."

Ethari followed Runaan's eyes throughout the room. Birds fluttered, he believed there were five now, and a cat lay lazily on the kitchenette counter with several young ferrets and a one-eyed kitten curled around it. A three-legged rabbit sat on the sofa, nose twitching as it watched Ethari, and a turtle hid within its scarred shell as a third puppy yipped and pawed at it playfully.

"He really does bring back every injured critter he finds, doesn't he?" Ethari murmured, mostly to himself, as he leaned over and scooped the third pup off the ground and held it to his chest. He looked between the dogs in his hands, at the leash in his lap, then back to Runaan. "I ran out of hands."

A smile teased playfully at the corners of Runaan's mouth as he gazed upon Ethari for a moment before kneeling down and setting the pup he held on the ground. He quickly wove his hand through the handle of the fabric leash before standing again and taking a second leash and collar from the counter and walking over. He kneeled once more at Ethari's side and secured the color around one of the dogs necks before clipping the leash on and threading his hand through the handle.

"Thank you for assisting me with this," He said as Ethari took the collar and leash in his lap and secured it to the third pup. "I've been at this sense Ibis called and asked me to take them to the vet for him, he'd already scheduled the appointment and I was worried at the rate things were progressing I'd miss it."

"Don't worry about it," Ethari chuckled, taking hold of the leash handle before the pup he'd set down could drag it out of reach. "I'm always happy to help out, especially when cute critters are involved."

He gave Runaan a grin and got a small smile in return before the blue eyed man's attention faded elsewhere.

"Where's the brown one?" He asked, side tails brushing his cheeks as he turned his head side to side in search of the missing dog.

"Brown one?" Ethari echoed. "He's right there."

Runaan looked to the pup Ethari pointed to before shaking his head and standing. "No, that's beige."

"Oh." Ethari squinted at the apparently beige dog as it laid on its side and chewed on its leash.

" _Squawk_ ," A shrill voice called. "Brown dog! Brown dog!"

The men's attention moved to one of Ibis' parrots as it flapped about near the door before finding purchase on the entryway table.

"Brown dog!" The bird repeated- Kyan, Ethari recalled. " _Fucker!_ "

Runaan pressed his lips into a line as he watched a shoe blundered about near the door, eyes flickering to Kyan before standing. "Perhaps I should mind my tongue more…" He muttered, approaching the shoe and plucking it off the ground to reveal a puppy that was a deep shade of brown. "There you are."

Ethari snickered and pushed himself off the floor, grabbing the last leash and collar set off the kitchenette counter before securing it to the pup. "That all of them?"

"I believe so," He paused to shoot a skeptical glance around the apartment. "Unless Ibis brought another lot in without telling me."

"When is this appointment again?"

Kyan hopped around the door side table, jingling Runaan's keys in her beak.

Runaan blinked once, visibly refocusing. "The veterinary office isn't too far," He said, taking his keys from Kyan before opening the door. "We should be able to get there within the hour."

They, in fact, did not make it within the hour. Or at all for that matter.

They had been walking for about five minutes when Runaan seemed to become distracted, it didn't take Ethari long to figure out why.

"She's fine," He chided lightly, turning his gaze from the daycare across the street to the man walking next to him. "Don't worry too much."

"I think I'll just pop by-" Runaan began, veering on the sidewalk in the daycare's direction.

"Runaan," Etharis said in a soft, warning tone as he caught Runaan lightly by the arm. "You can't be with Rayla every hour of the day, you'll both have to get used to it eventually. Besides, these people are trained to take care of children, they're more than capable of looking after her."

Runaan stopped walking with a huff and fixed Ethari with a firey blue gaze. "Do you know how many children are kept in those places?" The long haired man retorted, twisting his arm from Ethari's loose grasp and taking a step closer in challenge. "How can they possibly give the proper care and attention to so many children of such young ages?"

Ethari sighed softly and placed his hands on Runaan's shoulders. "Runaan…" He tried again, keeping his tone gentle. "Ibis picked this place out himself, and you know how much he cares about Rayla too, yes? Do you really think he'd entrust her to a place that's anything less than above satisfactory?"

Runaan stared into Ethari's face with the same fierce gaze before slowly turning it to the daycare. His face slowly shifted into what was most certainly not a pout as he looked away from both the daycare and Ethari, seeming to find the sidewalk interesting- Or possibly offending as the level of fierceness in his eyes never wavered. Ethari opened his mouth to speak further but suddenly Runaan stumbled into him then onto the ground. The puppies yipped clamorously as Runaan floundered over the edge of the sidewalk with a wide-eyed look of surprise.

"Ehtari!" He exclaimed, squirming against the crook of the asphalt and sidewalk.

Ethari was at his side in an instant, wrapping his arms around Runaan's chest and pulling as the dogs continued to yap and bark. To his surprise, Runaan wasn't brought back easy. Runaan wasn't that heavy, Ethari had picked him up with ease multiple times before, but there on the grimy asphalt it was as if he was stuck there by some magnetic force. The voices of onlookers blurred together as he gave one final pull and tumbled further into the street with Runaan in his arms. Cars honked and multiple voices cried out. Ethari and Runaan clung to each other as they scrambled to their feet and towards the sidewalk while multiple pairs of hands jumped out to pull them to safety.

"Are you okay?"

"What the hell was that?"

"Be careful!"

Runaan, who simply stared forward, didn't seem like he was going to respond to the people who had provided them aid or the onlookers asking if they should call a doctor.

_Is he still focused on the daycare?_

Ethari shot him a look that went completely unnoticed before turning his attention to the crowd and assuring them everything was fine, which turned into a bit of a challenge when Runaan walked back to the edge of the sidewalk and kneeled down to stick his head over the edge.

"Ethari…" His cool voice slowly called out.

Ethari glanced between the people he was talking to and Runaan before sighing and walking over to the edge of the sidewalk. "Yes, your royal space-case?" He frowned, folding his arms with a raised brow before noticing the red dripping down the other man's fingers. "Runaan-!"

"How many dogs do you have?"

"W… what?"

"The puppies," Runaan turned to look at him. "How many do you have?"

"Two," Ethari answered slowly, brows knitting together. "Why?"

Runaan slowly looked over the lip of the sidewalk again and held up his hand which now sported a bleeding claw mark and one leash handle around the wrist for Ethari to see. Ethari's eyes widened as his grip on the leashes in his own possession tightened. Hesitantly, he kneeled next to Runaan and gazed over the lip of the sidewalk, eyes falling on a guardless storm drain.

"Oh…" He breathed. " _Shit._ "

Ethari struggled to keep up with Runaan as the slightly shorter man briskly made his way towards the edge of town. Ethari held the remaining three puppies in his arms, looking anxiously around the street then back to Runaan again as he stumbled over his own feet periodically.

"Runaan…" He said softly, perhaps a bit too softly as the man ahead of him didn't respond. "Runaan!" He tried again. "Where are we going?"

Runaan's pace staggered as he shot a harsh look over his shoulder.

" _We_ aren't going anywhere," he snipped, turning on his heel and jabbing a finger at Ethari's chest. " _You_ are going home."

"What?" Ethari blinked, stepping backward until he was against a wall with Runaan glaring up at him. "You don't want my help?"

Runaan's harsh gaze softened after a moment, if only a smidge. "I can handle this on my own, you'd just be needlessly putting yourself in danger. Please, go home."

Ethari hardened his own gaze. "You're hurt."

"My hand? It's just some scratches-"

"Whatever was down there was strong enough to knock you down in an instant."

Runaan's shoulders squared. "I wasn't expecting it, a mere fumble-"

"Runaan-"

" _Ethari._ " Runaan's voice dripped with something stern and harsh. He took a step closer, his chest against Ethari's arm, then leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart before speaking in a low, hushed voice. "Are you equipped to deal with whatever's down there? Are you trained in combat? Defense? _Magic?_ If it's a spawn, what do you plan to do? What do you plan to do if it isn't? What _could_ you do?"

Ethari pressed his lips into a line, staring back at Runaan with what he hoped was a harsh look of his own but most likely wasn't.

_"What_ could _you do?"_

Ethari looked away.

_...Ouch._

Runaan sighed and stepped out of Ethari's personal space, smoothing his hand over his braided hair.

"Ethari…" Runaan began slowly, glancing away from him then back, the coldness beginning to melt from his voice and composure. "Just go home. Please? I…" He looked away, then back to him, then away again. "I need you to be safe. To stay safe." He moved closer once more, reaching for the man in front of him but pulling his hand away before the movement went noticed. Ethari turned his face back to him and Runaan's gaze darted away for a moment before he looked back into the man's warm brown eyes. "I need to know that you're safe," Runaan finally continued. "I won't be able to focus on my job if… if I'm worrying about you."

Ethari watched him for a moment, Runaan's gaze wavering before drifting away from him once again. Ethari sighed and leaned against the wall, looking to the puppies in his arms. A long moment passed before either spoke.

"I'll call you when I'm finished." Runaan said.

"...Right." Ethari continued to watch the puppies.

There was another moment of silence before he heard Runaan walk away. Ethari turned his head away from the fading footsteps and frowned.

Runaan was right, he knew that. Runaan had a gift few possessed, nonetheless the less could control, and Ethari was… well…

Ethari huffed out another sigh before turning and making his way back home. He knew it was dumb to try and get involved, knowing Runaan and his secret identity brought a bounty of dangers all on their own, not to mention he knew Ibis' and Aaravos' secret identities as well, he was already neck-deep in potentially treacherous territory, trying to get further involved by tagging along on missions could very well be suicide. There were the dangers presented by the spawns, the potential danger of a dark mage still present, the dangers presented by the authorities who would most likely show up at some point and try to arrest whoever was fighting, and there was the danger of distracting Runaan, apparently. Ethari paused to frown at a display of TVs, all playing the same spiel on how magical girls were dangerous and should be feared.

_Dangerous…_

Runaan had given a similar speech. Did he actually believe those words, that in some way he was some sort of antagonist, or had he simply been trying to scare Ethari off?

"My dear boy," A deep voice called out with a purr, pulling Ethari from his thoughts. " _What_ is in your arms?"

Ethari turned, a smile tugging at his lips. "Aaravos, hey!" He looked to the puppies in his arms then back to Aaravos as the tall man walked over. "Ibis found a box of puppies or something, I'm not really sure. I was helping Runaan take them to the vet for a checkup."

Aaravos gave a hum in reply, watching the puppies sniff his hand with a small smile before looking around. "I don't see your knight in sleeveless-flannel," he commented, scratching one of the pups under the chin. "Don't tell me he's talked you into taking care of these three all on your own during their checkup?"

"Nah, he just- Oh my gosh, the appointment! What time is it?! I totally forgot!"

Aaravos raised his brows and turned his gaze to the sky. "It's about… Hey, wait- Ethari!"

"Ibis is going to be pissed if we miss the appointment!" Ethari mumbled, mostly to himself, as Aaravos caught up to him and flipped a long lock of white hair over his shoulder.

"I don't see why this is your responsibility, they're Ibis' dogs and it seems Runaan's ditched you."

"He didn't ditch me, something… came up." He glanced to see Aaravos' analyzing gaze fixed on him before looking back to the pups in his arms.

Runaan had warned him multiple times that Aaravos was dangerous, that he couldn't be trusted, but Ethari had trouble placing where Aaravos fell in all this. Aaravos was definitely powerful, but he didn't seem necessarily _evil_. He had saved Ethari before, when Runaan wasn't around to do so himself, and he'd saved Runaan before as well. He had even spared Runaan despite the man's attempts to "end the threat" Aaravos presented. Ethari remembered that day vividly. Runaan had all but disappeared, having set out with the goal of killing Aaravos but winding up nearly dead himself. Ethari had almost found their battlefield too late, but once he did he ran over to Runaan and held the unconscious elf, kneeling in the man's blood, and cried. Aaravos had been ready to deliver the final blow, it was obvious, but he didn't. He cast a healing spell instead, slowing Runaan's bleeding, then left.

"I can escort you if you'd like," Aaravos offered, pulling Ethari from his thoughts once again. "You do seem to have your arms full at the moment."

"Oh," Ethari looked back to the man beside him and couldn't help but smirk a little at his joke. "You don't have to, I know you're probably busy."

"Darling, don't fret, I've been walking around the woods for days tracking this nuisance of a-" He leaned closer until their shoulders bumped and dropped his voice to a whisper. "A you-know-what," He waved his hands, returning his voice to normal. "I'm socially _starved_ , there's no one to talk to out there. Besides, if it turns out we missed the appointment you can just blame it on me." He winked. "I know I can be quite distracting."

Ethari chuckled, looking back to the dogs in his arms. The three of them…

"I suppose I can let you open the door for me." He finally answered.

"As you wish." Aaravos grinned.

"Well, she was rude." Aaravos huffed as Ethari fumbled with his keys.

"She was just doing her job…" Ethari mumbled, opening the door to his house.

"Doing it _rudely_."

"We did miss the appointment and had to reschedule."

Aaravos hummed in thought, looking around the house as he entered and Ethari closed the door behind them. "She was still rude." He concluded, kneeling down and releasing the pups he had carried back.

"Let's just hope Ibis doesn't give us the 'I'm not mad, just disappointed look'." Ethari tossed his coat onto the sofa. "Lunch?"

"If you insist."

Aaravos seemed more than content with keeping the dogs entertained while Ethari cooked, and by the time the food was done the puppies were asleep in a little dogpile atop Ethari's jacket.

"So…" Aaravos began, turning his gaze from the dogs to Ethari. "What happened?"

Ethari furrowed his brows, lowering his sandwich from his mouth. "What do you mean?"

"You're little BFF seems to have left you mid-errand and that rude lady said there were supposed to be four dogs, not three." He propped his chin on his hands. "So…?"

Ethari sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Like I said, something came up…"

"Something like…?" Aaravos' golden eyes flickered with realization. "A spawn. Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine but…" Ethari sighed, pushing his plate back and pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. "One of the dogs went missing, I think it fell into the gutter and then the spawn or whatever's down there cut the leash from Runaan's hand."

"Oh dear… He went after it?"

Ethari nodded.

"You don't seem too reassured."

Ethari sighed, letting his hand fall from his face into his lap as he squinted at the ceiling. "I just… wish I could help. But I'm not like you guys, I'm just a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time…"

Aaravos seemed to assess Ethari for a moment. "Like us?"

Ethari met his gaze with a look of mild annoyance and a raised brow. "Magical girls?"

" _Ex-_ Magical girl, darling, I'm not in cahoots with your little flower boys. But in regards to _Lotus_ , he's just sloppy, you should find no fault in yourself."

"Runaan? Sloppy?"

"He bit off more than he could chew and reverted back to human form in front of a civilian, none of that is your fault."

"He's been put in charge of protecting Elarion-"

"You don't know that."

Ethari opened his mouth only to shut it again.

"Has he told you the mission he was sent here for? If not, you-"

"Should stay out of it, I know."

Aaravos hummed in thought, drumming his fingers across his lower lip as he studied Ethari for a moment. "Wanna hear a joke? A one-armed archer and a healer with astounding fight or flight- emphasis on _flight_ \- walk into a dark magic catalyst."

"W… what?"

Aaravos sighed, waving a hand. "My point is, this is a messy job, you have a right to be concerned about your… _him_ -"

"What?"

"Don't interrupt- You have all the right to worry, but try not to worry _too_ much, not unless you're willing to embrace all this lifestyle comes with."

"I know, I know." Ethari ran his hands through his short, messy hair and watched the puppies as they slept on the couch. "I just… I know I'm nothing special and I know I'm basically useless when it comes to fights and spawns and black magic, but I just feel bad for not being able to help I guess… I know what you guys do isn't easy, it's dangerous and risky, and I just want to help somehow, you know?"

Aaravos gave a gentle smile, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear as he stood from the table. "You have a big heart, Ethari, one you're not afraid to show and listen to. That's quite admirable. I'll go see if I can catch up to Runaan, perhaps this gutter dweller is related to my forest beast."

Ethari stood as well, opening his mouth to speak but struggling to find words. "...Stay safe."

Aaravos paused halfway towards the door, looking over his shoulder at Ethari and studying him for a moment before grinning.

"Do you want to come with?" He arched a perfectly shaped brow, dark sunshiny eyes looking into his own, urging him.

"I…" Ethari took a moment to recover from the question, mind reeling. "I shouldn't… Runaan… He wouldn't like that."

Aaravos frowned, turning to fully face the shorter man. "What you do is your decision, not his."

Ethari watched the other man for a moment before looking away.

"Look," Aaravos began again, hands fluttering through the air as he spoke and moved closer, as if playing some invisible instrument. "What I'm seeing is someone riddled with uncertainty. I'm thinking of this as a test run, a sort of trial to see if you truly want to get entangled enough in the business of magical girls to 'help out'. You've seen plenty of conflict, but you've never gotten involved in it."

"What, you want me to whack a spawn with a frying pan or something?" Ethari frowned, arching a brow.

Aaravos' grin returned. "You're a smart boy, I'm sure you can figure something out."

"I still feel like this is a bad idea…" Ethari sighed, pulling off his motorcycle helmet and looking around the wooded area they had stopped in.

It was quiet except for the sound of birds and the wind rustling the trees. They had passed several huge tunnels that Aaravos commented on, explaining how he had walked about them in search of their creator. They had stopped to inspect the entrance of each one, looking for signs of Runaan or clues about the thing that made them. They came up with nothing each time. Aaravos had fallen off the motorcycle several times in the process of their journey, apparently incapable of sitting still. Eventually, they came across the mouth of the storm gutter and were now staring into its damp maw from atop the bike.

"If we see a red balloon…" Ethari muttered.

"Balloons?" Aaravos chirped, raising a brow in a teasing yet curious manner.

"Nevermind," Ethari shook his head, nudging Aaravos lightly to get the other man to release his grasp around his waist and get off the motorcycle. "But are you sure I should be here?"

Aaravos hummed, gracefully dismounting the bike despite the ride over, and pulled off his helmet, long wavy locks cascading down his back in reclaimed freedom. "I believe that's up to you."

Ethari frowned at him, shoving his helmet onto the handlebar of the motorcycle and doing the same with Aaravos'. As he got off the bike Runaan's warnings about the ex-magical girl echoed through his head. _He's powerful._ Duh. _He's manipulative._ Ethari tied his hair back and watched Aaravos examine the ground in front of the tunnel. Was this a mistake?

"Your little flower blossom went this way." Aaravos called.

"How can you tell?" Ethari asked, brows raising in surprise.

_Is Runaan really getting sloppy?_

He briskly made his way to Aaravos' side, eyes landing on the imprint in the dirt that the man traced with a single, slim finger.

"Oh." Ethari managed.

He stared down, taking in the sight of an almost bird-like footprint in the dirt. It was larger than his own foot, and judging from the deepness of the imprint, the creature that left it was probably heavy. It sported more toes than a bird, four on the front of the foot- or at least what he assumed was the front- and two on the back, each bearing a talon.

"Are they recent?" Ethari breathed, eyes darting around the area before looking into the tunnel, trying to see through the darkness.

Aaravos poked the imprint twice before simply shrugging, standing and tossing loose locks of hair behind his shoulders. "If you're flower boy saw these he'd no doubt investigate, not to mention little Lassie got pulled into the storm gutter which is prompting enough on its own."

Ethari shifted the weight between his feet, glancing back the way they had come before looking back into the tunnel. "R-right…" He took a deep breath. "Let's go then."

Aaravos grinned in that particularly Aaravos way of his, yellow eyes sparkling with the light that made its way down through the treetops. "Let's." He purred.

The drain tunnel was dark and smelled like mold and dirt. The sounds of wind echoed from outside its mouth and throughout its belly in murmurs and whispers. The ground was covered in mud and twigs and leaves and- _Ew, dead rat._ Ethari puffed out an anxious breath, eyes following the trail of his flashlight as he moved it around. The animalistic prints in the dirt had continued for a bit but were eventually swallowed by the too-soft mud and litter.

"Nervous?" Aaravos inquired, smooth voice dancing through the darkness as he quirked a brow at Ethari and turned away from the secrets his flashlight revealed.

"Shut up…" Ethari muttered. "How did you spend days tracking this thing to no avail when it leaves giant-ass footprints? Are we not going to talk about that?"

“The spawn I was tracking had _wings_ , thank you very much.” Aaravos replied coolly.

“You saw it and you still weren’t able to stop it?”

Aaravos shot him a warning look that lasted for a fraction of a second before he looked back into the inky veil of the tunnel with a more bored and annoyed expression, brows lifted, one a bit more than the other and a slight frown on his lips. He waved his free hand as he spoke. “It took off, and it’s not like I was going to set the forest on fire to hit it or like I could sprout wings with clear skies and sunshine.”

“Ibis can.”

Aaravos turned his gaze back to Ethari, not bothering to hide his annoyance anymore. “Good for Ibis.”

Ethari gave an anxious smile before looking back to the space illuminated by his flashlight.

Aaravos sighed, doing the same. “It’s not likely for a winged creature of that size to be in a place like this, think of our own little bird and how much he loves cramped spaces.”

Ethari gave a hum of thought, recalling several occasions where the group of men had crammed themselves into Ethari’s old pill-sized car in unplanned pursuit of a spawn or retreat, or fleeing from the cops or simple errand running, and how uncomfortable Ibis looked the entire time despite trying to mask it. Ethari was pulled from his musings when his flashlight glanced over something tall and blue instead of more dirt and concrete. Ethari promptly let out a high pitched sound that was probably some form of scream, and clung to Aaravos for dear life. Aaravos’ brows shot up and his eyes widened before he promptly grabbed Ethari in return with one arm, flashlight clattering to the mud as he brought his other hand up to cast a spell before pausing. The flashlight on the ground rolled, casting its light upon a pissed off Runaan.

“You…” The man hissed.

“RUNAAN!” Ethari cried, all but tossing Aaravos away from his person as he ran over and pulled out a crowbar that had been tucked into his coat. Runaan joined Aaravos in staring at the mechanic with raised brows and wide eyes. 

“And here I thought you were excited to see me…” Aaravos mused quietly, but loudly enough for Runaan to shoot him a glare that would give the average person cardiac arrest.

“Don’t worry we’re here to help! Where’s the monster?! Are you hurt?!” Ethari blundered about in a circle around Runaan, pointing his crowbar into the darkness defensively as Runaan's brows drew together and his lips formed a line.

“ _What_ are you two doing here?” Runaan demanded, glare shifting between the men.

Ethari stopped in his tracks, crowbar still raised as he opened his mouth and struggled for words. “We… We, uh…”

“I offered to give your dear companion a trial run.” Aaravos answered, plucking his flashlight off the ground with two fingers and wrinkling his nose at the mud that dripped off of it.

“A _what_?” Runaan barked, voice echoing in the tunnel.

“D-don’t be mad…” Ethari managed.

Runaan whirled around to face him, looking quite mad.

“We just, I-” Ethari fiddled with the crowbar, sucking in a breath to regain some confidence. “I was worried.”

Runaan’s expression softened before returning to its full fury. “So you went to _him_?!” He snarled, pointing back at Aaravos who smiled and waved. “Instead of calling me or Ibis?”

“I- Well- It just sort of happened?”

Runaan’s entire being slouched as he stared at Ethari with incredulous anger.

“Don’t be mad, Blossom,” Aaravos said lightly, tossing the flashlight in the air where it hovered and flicked to life as he sashayed over. “I’ve been with him since not long after you left, he’s been perfectly safe.”

Runaan's face darkened further, flamingly cold eyes boring into the nonchalant malefactor. “ _You_.” He finally said, straightening to his proper height and turning to fully face him. “You put him up to this?”

Aaravos merely shrugged. “You’ll thank me later.”

“Go home! Both of you!”

“Runaan-” Ethari began quietly.

“Aw, but we just got here.” Aaravos wined, pouting theatrically.

“I will shatter your spine right here and now if you don’t turn and leave immediately.” Runaan spat, anger focused on Aaravos.

“Is that any way to treat a fellow magical girl?”

“ _Ex-_ Magical girl.”

Aaravos’ eyes narrowed as he pressed his lips into a thin line, chin tilting up. The two glared at each other for a long moment before Aaravos finally spoke. “Punk.”

“Guys-” Ethari tried, but Runaan was already approaching the ex-magical girl, a trail of turquoise and blue light fluttering from his earnings before wrapping around him with a flash and fading just as fast, leaving shimmers to fall to the ground and fade away as Runaan stood in his elven form.

Two purple lines swept across his cheeks, one shorter than the other. His ears were long and pointed now and he had horns protruding from the top of his head, the left one broken while the right one swopped up and back and kinked at the end, both clad with a silver band at the base. His clothes were a mix of something you’d wear to a formal event and light armor, an embroidered leather vest over a transparent tailcoat and sleeveless shirt, all various shades of turquoise and teal, and tight dark blue leggings with thigh-high boots and a decorative looking vambrace over a transparent glove on his arm. His hair was longer, going well past his waist, and tied back by silver cuffs, and a swirling silver band bearing ombre purple and green stones laid above his brows. The shimmers faded as Runaan glared up at Aaravos who grinned down at him in turn.

A second light show left Aaravos in his own elven form. His skin was now blended shades of purple and freckled with twinkling stars, several white diamonds lined up under each of his eyes and a larger, dark cored, diamond lay in the center of his chest, cupped by a waning crescent shape. The whites of his eyes were now black and he sported pointed ears and horns as well, his coming to several points before ending, once at the base and once more below the tip. His hair hadn’t changed length but was now pushed pack, a swooping silver headpiece resting on his temple. Ornaments on his horns, cuffs on his wrists, a short necklace at his throat, and some strange leg bracelets around his upper thighs all mimicked the diadem upon his forehead in shape and form. His dress covered much less than Runaan's outfit did, if what the man wore could be considered a dress. It was a more vivid shade of purple and long, almost reaching the floor, with slits on each side that went up to his hips, and it had a large diamond-shaped window in the chest starting from his navel and ending at his throat. Several hoops of silver formed some sort of rerebrace atop his shoulders, transparent fabric spilling out from underneath and flowing loosely behind his shoulder blades. Several semi-transparent sash-like pieces spilled out along with it, and some unknown wind seemed to gently blow against him for dramatic effect.

“If we’re done overcompensating,” Ethari piped up, snapping the men from their glaring contest. “I’d like to focus on why we all came down here so we can get the hell out of here.” He paused, arms folded across his chest and a brow raised as he tilted his head. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

Aaravos grinned and looked back to Runaan who looked like he was on the verge of imploding.

“I can handle this on my own.” Runaan finally said after taking a deep breath to try and maintain composure. “There’s no need for you to endanger yourself and-” He looked to Aaravos. “There’s no reason for- Actually, you know what? I hope you get eaten.”

Ethari buried his face in his wrist, hands preoccupied with the flashlight and crowbar. Before either man could reply- or retort- Runaans earrings flickered with light and the man's eyes widened, taking a step back as his hand flew to the stones upon his ears.

“Ibis-” Runaan said as smoothly as he could. “Me? Oh, I’m…”

“Hi, Ibis!” Aaravos called despite knowing the communicator only received the voice of its wearer.

Despite this, as well, Runaan shot him a look. “I’m just…” He waved his hand at the other men, silently urging them to leave. “ _Out_.”

Ethari glanced between the two, uncertainty playing with his feet. Aaravos, on the other hand, moved closer to Runaan, wrapping his arms around his middle and pulling him close, plucking the earring free before twirling the man and sending him stumbling away.

“Hello, Ibis!” Aaravos chirped as Runaan fell into Ethari’s arms. “I’m going spelunking with the boys, care to join?”

“Aaravos!” Runaan roared, kicking at the man from within Ethari’s arms in a mixed attempt of escape and attack.

“I think we should all take a deep breath and-” Etharis sentence left his tongue unfinished as Runaan pried himself free and lept at Aaravos who smoothly stepped out of range and left a fuming Moonshadow elf in his wake.

“We’re looking for a red balloon in the storm drain,” Aaravos continued through the communicator to the absent man. “Or something like that. Right, Ethari?”

He turned his gaze to Ethari and smiled, a mistake as the distraction gave Runaan the chance to knock the Startouch elf into the mud.

“Everything’s fine,” Runaan continued speaking to Ibis through his remaining earring, shooting the other men in the tunnel a look. “I’m about to escort them both off the prem-Eh!” Aaravos had kicked out his leg, foot colliding with Runaan's knee and sending him into the mud. The pair shot each other looks akin to death sentences. “No, you don’t have to come-!” Runaan spluttered, probably cutting Ibis off on the other side of the communicators.

“I look forward to seeing you, Ibis!” Aaravos sang. “And don’t you worry, I’ll take good care of Lotus Blossom and Co. for you!” He removed the earring and kicked a splash of mud and gunk at Runaan before turning to Ethari with a wink. “But mostly Co.”

Ethari rubbed his temples. 

“See you soon!” Aaravos chirped, apparently concluding the conversation.

Runaan wasted no time in pouncing upon the man and wrestling the earring from his possession, but instead of putting it back on he threw it at Ethari who dropped his items to catch it, and raised his arm above his head. A teal flash of light came from his hand, leaving an ornate sword in its wake. In the moment of light, the entire tunnel became illuminated, and Ethari got a glimpse of something that made him scream.

A mud-covered claw stepped out of the darkness and into the light of Ethari’s fallen flashlight, a huff of stale smelling hot air filling the tunnel and blowing their hair back. Ethari stumbled towards the others, falling in the mud and fumbling further until he was clinging to Runaan, a low growl vibrating the walls around them all the while. Aaravos’ flashlight slowly rotated from its spot in the air until it’s light illuminated the rest of the creature.

A scaly creature with a long snout and gangly arms watched them with fiery red eyes that sported no sclera. It’s yellow and orange skin was scarred with bits of stone and black marks, purple runs in a line along its throat and sides shimmering in the dying light. It opened its mouth to let out a low, whiny, utter, like a long-winded cry of a bat but a handful of octaves lower. Its teeth clicked together as it let out the sound, and then the flashlight died.

“ _Run!_ ” Runaan hissed, and Ethari was on his feet in an instant.

He ran faster than he knew he ever could, slipping through the mud and scrambling towards the light at the end of the tunnel- _Literally_. Ibis was not going to be happy with them.

Ethari all but collapsed into the embrace of a tree several yards away from the mouth of the tunnel, wrapping his arms around it and breathing heavily. The sound of barking slowly ebbed its way into Ethari's senses, drawing his focus away from the pounding in his chest.

"PUPPY!" Ethari cried, running forward and falling to his knees to hug the mud-covered dog. "Oh my god, you're okay! I was so scared that spawn ate you! Runnan, look! The dog-" Ethari turned to face Runaan but found no one there. He turned in the opposite direction then stumbled to his feet to turn in a small circle and take in the empty space around him.

_Oh god…_

A stuttering roar erupted from the tunnel.

_Oh shit, oh-_

The dog whimpered and Ethari sucked in a breath, trying to steady himself. He felt something thin press into his hand.

_"You've seen plenty of conflict..."_

Ethari placed the earring in his earlobe. "R-runaan..?"

_"But you've never gotten involved in it."_

"Ethari?" Ibis' voice rang through his head, impaled his ears like an arrow.

Ethari let out a cry, falling to the ground once more and grabbing his head as Runaan's voice cast spells and exclaimed in pain.

"Ethari, is that you?"

Ethari gasped, sucking in a breath. "Ibis! The spawn! It's- it's- Runaan!"

"Ethari, go!" Runaan's voice cut in, slicing through his mind like an icy blade.

Ethari sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.

"I'm on my way, Ethari, don't worry, just get out of there." Ibis instructed.

_I'm not like you…._

"Tell me what to do!" Ethari cried.

" _Go_!"

"It's alright-"

"Not that!" Ethari tore the earring away and shoved it in his pocket, holding his head tightly with his other hand as it throbbed. Something warm dripped from his nose. "I'm not like you…"

Roaring and colored lights spilled out from the tunnel, littering the ground with splotches of blue and green, purple and red. Ethari stared. The fight was getting closer, soon Runaan and Aaravos and that thing would come out of the tunnel. Ethari took another deep breath, sitting up and whipping the blood from his nose as he watched the light show.

"R-runaan?" Ethari's voice asked through the communicator.

Runaan fumbled, but not badly enough to not recover. He dashed forward and sent out slices of teal light from his sword that scratched the spawn's scaly skin. _S_ _cratched._

"Ethari?" Ibis' voice asked.

_My sword won't be enough for this thing_

A cry rang through his mind, sending him stumbling. 

"Ethari, is that you?" Ibis' voice pressed.

Runaan's sword fell from his hand and disappeared with a spout of light, Aaravos wrapping an arm around him and pulling him up before he could land in the mud again. 

"Ibis! The spawn! It's- it's- Runaan!" Ethari's voice stammered.

Aaravos cast a spell that filled the tunnel with dry heat and sent a bout of flames upon the creature.

"Ethari, go!" Runaan barked, pulling himself away from Aaravos and thrusting his hand into the air for a spell as the creature stepped forward, scales aflame.

"I'm on my way, Ethari, don't worry, just get out of there." Ibis assured.

_I can't use a large scale attack down here..._

"Tell me what to do!" Ethar cried out.

" _Go_!" Runaan pulled his hand from the air with a twist and a flash of light.

"It's alright-" Ibis began.

Several luminescent bows with arrows notched and drawn back appeared in the air.

"Not that!" And then the sounds of Ethari were gone.

"Ethari!" Runaan called, Aaravos grabbing his wrist and pulling him back into the fight at hand.

Pain shot through Runaan's arm as Aaravos' eyes glowed with a bright white light, the stars on his skin seeming to glow brighter and the gravity upon the two mages seeming to lessen. Aaravos drew a rune in the air and cast it. Runaan's bows and arrows crackled and morphed before firing, piercing the creature's skin with bolts of rock and stone. Runaan felt the ground move under his feet and then he was running, being towed through the tunnel as his brain did somersaults within his skull from Aaravos' spells. Suddenly the sun was prickling his skin.

_When did it get so cold?_

The hand on his wrist vanished and he stumbled to a stop, falling against a blurry purple mass that wrapped its arms around him and steadied him while he took several deep breaths and felt his mind settle like the inside of a snow globe.

"...Runaan." A voice ebbed its way through the haze. "Runaan."

_Oh no he fucking didn't._

Runaan's fist found its mark with minimal effort, clashing into Aaravos' chin and sending the Startouch stumbling back. " _Don't you dare do that again!"_ He roared, fist clenching and chest heaving.

Aaravos frowned, touching the swelling skin on his face with gentle fingertips as he narrowed his eyes but remained silent. His gaze moved back to the tunnel. A shrill roar tumbled from its maw, ruffling the foliage nearby. Runaan cursed under his breath and turned to face the tunnel. They were in open space now, he could use larger attacks, but it was more than an hour until it would even be sunset. A large attack would leave him drained without the moon present, and if it didn't work… 

His gaze trailed back to Aaravos, a long string of curse words playing through his mind as he pressed his lips thin and turned back to the mouth of the tunnel. "Ibis, what's your posit-"

The spawn burst forth from the tunnel, stones and black goop dripping from its skin as it snarled and glared down upon the elves. It moved two steps further into the open space and unfurled a pair of red and orange tattered wings, eyes moving to the sky.

"Oh, you little shit-" Aaravos murmured in a thin, breathless voice as he briskly drew a rune in the air.

Runaan threw his hand back, teal and green swirling in the air behind him as the creature readied itself for takeoff. 

_Fuck._

Runaan suddenly became aware of a roaring engine, the sound now blatantly loud. He spared the time to glance at Aaravos whose face lit up with eagerness as his focus went above the spawns head. Following his gaze, Runaan looked up just in time to see a motorcycle fly off the small hill that laid atop the drain tunnel. The bike crashed into the back of the creature's head before it went tumbling to the ground with a crash, its rider falling in the opposite direction. The creature fell forward, catching itself with a snarl on the ground. Aaravos cast his spell, tendrils of jagged rock blotched with glittering jewels shooting from the ground and impaling the spawn, holding the creature in place. Runaan drew his hand forward, lights swirling behind him kicking back to life and forming a large arrow above him before lunging at the creature. The light arrow collided with the thing, unraveled, then threw its pieces into the creature's hide once again. The spawn let out a roar of anger and pain before a voice called out.

"Fulminis!"

Electricity crackled through the air and surged into the spawn, dancing throughout its being as it howled in pain. Another light arrow and the creature burst into red, flaming goo, a glowing crystal in the place it previously stood. Ibis charged down from the sky in his elven form, arms replaced with a pair of dark wings and skin a dark shade of grey, and kicked the gem to Runaan who promptly crushed it under his boot. Swirls of light and spits of flame reached out from beneath his foot and clawed at the earth as if trying to escape before slowly fading away. There was a final surge of light and flames and goo from the spawn disappeared, leaving charred bits of earth in their place. Ibis landed, wings shrinking in on themselves then disappearing completely as feathers slid into his arms. The three magical girls stared at each other in silence until a voice exclaimed: "We did it!"

The group flinched, suddenly remembering the motorcyclist who was now sitting on the dirt and fumbling with their helmet.

"Ethari!" Runaan breathed, all but charging the man before falling to his knees and pulling him close. "By the moon, are you alright?!" He pulled away just enough to help Ethari tug his helmet off. 

Ethari grinned eagerly, a trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. "We did it."

Runaan opened his mouth, then closed it, brows knitting together and eyes squeezing shut as he pulled Ethari close once more. "Don't you dare do that ever again!"

Ethari simply chuckled in response, wrapping his arms around the elf before him.

"Is anyone hurt?" Ibis questioned, glancing around the area as if some injured bystander would suddenly reveal themself as he walked over to the men on the ground.

"We're alright, dear," Aaravos replied with a wave of the hand, his clothes glowing and turning transparent before the light surged then disappeared and left him in his human form. "We're just a bit roughed up."

Ibis thinned his lips as he glanced at Aaravos before kneeling next to his teammate and Ethari, placing a gentle hand on their shoulders. "You're bleeding, Ethari, let me heal you."

Ethari wanted to reject the offer, to savor the scrapes and bruises from proving to be useful in a fight for once, but he nodded. Ibis' hands were shaking, he'd probably been panicking the entire way here, and Ethari did feel a bit guilty for making his friends worry. He unwrapped one arm from around Runaan and used it to pull Ibis into the hug. The Skywing seemed surprised for a moment but soon relaxed, wrapping his arms around the pair and murmuring a spell. A sensation of both warmth and coolness threaded its way through Ethari's body, targeting the sore and swelling parts of him and easing the pain away.

"You two better explain what the heck happened-" Ibis began, voice quick and quiet but chalked with worry.

"We know…" Ethari mumbled.

"I have to send reports about these battles-"

"We know." Runaan huffed.

Ibis tensed for a moment, holding them both tighter, before relaxing and returning to his human form with a surge of pastel green light. Runaan followed suit.

"You're both such a handful …" Ibis sighed.

"We're sorry." Ethari squeezed his shoulder.

"I would've had it under control if-" Runaan began, pausing his sentence when Ethari pinched him. "W...we're sorry…"

A fourth pair of arms joined the group hug.

"Oh, what wonderful teamwork!" Aaravos sighed dreamily. "I have to say, boys, I think today was quite the succe-"

Runaan and Ibis, as if sharing the same mind, both shot out an arm and promptly pushed Aaravos away. Aaravos landed on his rear with a gentle _"Oof!"_ and gave them each a look in return, though his resembled more of a pout than a glare or that look a mother would give a misbehaving child.

"We should be going…" Runaan muttered, rising to his feet and offering his hand to Ethari.

Ethari took his hand and brushed some of the grime off his pants as he stood. "I have to grab something before we do."

Ibis quirked his head to the side, glancing over the state of everyone as he stood before looking back to Ethari. "What is it?"

"The puppy."

"What?"

"You found it!" Runaan exclaimed, grip tightening on Ethari's hand.

" _What?"_

Runaan and Ethari shared a glance before reluctantly facing Ibis.

"So, uhm…" Runaan began slowly, eyes moving past Ibis to the side as he rubbed Ethari's knuckle. "Don't be mad-"

"You're little flower boy has been searching for the thing all day, Ibii." Aaravos answered, tossing one arm over Runaan's shoulder and the other over Ethari's. "Children are so hard to keep track of on your own, I've heard you should never let the children outnumber the parents-"

"I hid him in a bush up there," Ethari supplied, pointing to the hill above the tunnel. "He was pretty muddy but didn't seem hurt."

Ibis gave a nod and brisk "thank you" before making his way up the hill as fast and politely as possible.

The trio- plus Aaravos, who followed at a safe distance- made their way to Ethari's house by foot after finding the motorcycle nonfunctional. Ibis softly fussed over the puppy the entire trip back into town, and rambled about proper animal care while Runaan muttered curse words under his breath. The group got plenty of odd looks on their walk, three out of the four were covered in mud and foliage- four out of five if you counted the dog, but they eventually made it to Ethari's house.

"I can call you guys a cab if you want?" Ethari offered as he opened the door. "Or uber or whatever- actually I don't have the app…"

"It's alright, you've helped us out a lot today already." Ibis smiled warmly, placing his hand on Ethari's shoulder as he passed into the house. "Runaan and I will just gather the dogs and get out of your hair."

"Erm, I apologize for today…" Runaan began, pausing in the doorway then refusing to move as Aaravos made to follow him in.

Ethari gave a half grin, patting Runaan's back with a bit of force to nudge him into the house. "You can come in, Aaravos."

"Why thank you." Aaravos tipped his head with a smile and followed Runaan in.

With a soft sigh, Ethari closed the door and watched the three men try to calm the puppies enough to pick them up or put their leashes back on. The house was a bit messier than how he'd left it but it seemed his and Aaravos' attempt at puppy proofing had been rather successful.

"Are you sending the puppies to a shelter?" Aaravos questioned, watching the dog in his arms lean into his hand as he petted it.

"Eventually," Ibis hummed, stumbling a bit as he tried to escape the leash the beige pup had tangled around his feet. "After the vet says they're fit to be." Aaravos looked between the dog in his arms and Ibis, his silent question going unnoticed as Ibis turned his back to him to chase a dog.

"Little shit…" Runaan hissed from behind the couch.

"Language." Ibis and Ethari half-heartedly chided in unison.

"Heh," Aaravos smirked. "You're in trouble."

Runaan's eyes raised from behind the sofa to glare at the man.

"They're right," Aaravos pressed, cradling the dog in his arms. "There's children present."

"They're dogs!" Runaan exclaimed. "They-" He stopped mid-sentence, eyes going wide. "RAYLA!" And then he was out the door.

"Wait-!" Ibis called, setting down the pups in his arms and chasing after his colleague. "Wait!"

"Which do you think will make the headlines first?" Aaravos inquired with a raised brow. " _Warning: Magical Girls in Forest_ or _Mud-Covered-Man Scares Civilians_?"

Ethari sighed, ushering the puppies further away from the door. "Grab the leashes, will you?"

Aaravos chuckled at his own joke, smirk playing at his lips as he took a leash off the kitchen table and clipped onto the beige dog's collar.

" _Wait, wait._ " Ibis' voice came through the door a moment before he opened it and dragged Runaan in along with him. "Wait."

"No." Runaan twisted his arm in Ibis' grasp.

Ibis smiled softly, placing his hands on Runaan's shoulders. "I already called the daycare, don't worry." Runaan reluctantly retired his escape attempt. "I'll go pick up Rayla, okay? You take the dogs home, I think the staff would ask questions if you went to the daycare in this state. We'll meet up at the apartment and I promise Rayla will be in one piece."

Runaan seemed to consider for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright."

Ibis gave Runaan's shoulders a gentle squeeze before letting go and straightening his coat then pausing. He stared at the mud on his hands and clothes from dragging Runaan inside. "Oops…" He gave a sheepish chuckle and tugged his long coat off. "Ethari, could I…?"

"Bathroom's down there, first room on the left," Ethari replied, gesturing. "Are you sure you don't want me to call a cab?"

"He wants a cab." Runaan answered for him, gaze locked on Ethari before looking back to Ibis. "You're not walking around with a baby at this time of night, nonetheless my goddaughter."

Ibis cocked his head but nodded. "Fair point. I'll be back in a moment then."

Ethari nodded, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Need any help?" Aaravos purred, quirking a brow with a smirk as Ibis made his way to the bathroom.

"I can manage, tha-" He paused, realization hitting him. He opened his mouth then closed it again with a pout, expression going stern as a rosey hue colored his cheeks. "Hush."

"Lay a hand on him and I'll castrate you." Runaan warned once the bathroom door was shut.

Aaravos rolled his eyes and muttered something about ruffling feathers as he took a leash from the table and clipped it to the collar of the dog in his arms before pausing. "I'm covered in mud." He stated, shooting a glare to Runaan but focusing his attention on Ethari.

"That you are." Ethari chuckled, looking over the state of the two men and recently returned puppy as he placed his phone back in his pocket. "I can get you two some clean clothes and you can wash up if you'd like? I can clean off our little adventurer in the kitchen sink." He held his hand out to the pup who dropped into a playful stance with a yip. 

"You don't have t-" Runaan began.

"Yes." Aaravos cut in. "Please, yes."

"Aaravos-"

"Silence." Aaravos pointed a dirty finger at him. "I feel like a sewer baby."

"A… What?"

"Like from Lego?" Ethari grinned.

"Alright, I'm heading out." Ibis reentered the room, coat folded over his arm.

"Take me with you." Runaan plead, probably half serious.

"He can't," Aaravos declared. "You look like a sewer baby."

"What the fuck does that mean?!"

Ibis opened his mouth then closed it, brows knitting together. "Uh…"

"Just go." Ethari waved his hand, standing up. "Your cab should be here in a minute or two. Aaravos, you can use the hall bathroom and, Runaan, you can use the one in my room. I'll grab you both some clean clothes, please don't kill each other in my absence."

"No promises." Aaravos chirped as Runaan stammered.

Ethari left to rummage through his closet in search of something that would fit the thinner men. By the time he returned Ibis had left and Runaan and Aaravos were (surprisingly) both still alive and not even trying to kill each other.

"But why would babies live in the sewer?" Runaan muttered, arm folded across his chest.

"Because it's the apocalypse." Aaravos replied simply.

"But…"

"Fucks sake, Runaan, it's a kids movie. You literally live with a child, why is this so complicated?"

Ethari covered his mouth but couldn't help the muffled laugh that escaped him. The others flinched, apparently not having noticed his return until then. He waved his hand, setting the clothes he'd selected on the coffee table. "Don't let me disturb you. You were talking about sewer babies, yes?"

Runaan pinched the bridge of his nose. "By the moon, no, change the topic."

Ethari chuckled and gestured to the clothes on the table. "Well, I think these should fit-"

"You're heaven sent, Ethari." Aaravos declared, snatching a pair of shirt and pants from the table before disappearing in the bathroom. "Heaven sent."

"You can leave your clothes outside the door and I can throw them in the wash if you want." Ethari called.

"Heaven sent!"

Ethari snickered, scooping the mud-covered dog into his arms as Runaan rolled his eyes before settling his gaze on him. The pair looked at each other for a moment, Ethari smiling easily as those piercing teal eyes seemed to analyze him for a moment before flickering away. Runaan opened his mouth but shut it again and quirked a brow, attention being stolen elsewhere. Ethari followed his gaze and mentally cursed himself. Runaan plucked a t-shirt off the table, looking at it for a moment before turning the front to Ethari with a small but sly smirk. "moon child" sat in white print on the center of the shirt, the second "o" being a crescent moon instead of a letter.

"I… got that before I knew you." Ethari managed.

"Mmhm…" Runaan hummed, not the slightest bit convinced and not bothering to hide it as he turned the front of the shirt back to himself and glanced over it with a look of amusement. He looked back down the hall where a shower could be heard running and a stack of neatly folded, once purple clothing sat by the bathroom door, and his smile disappeared once again. "Ethari…"

Ethari shifted the weight between his feet as Runaan's piercing gaze swept through him once again before falling away. "What is it?"

Runaan looked back to him, opening his mouth before closing it again, brows drawing together as a frown tugged at the corner of his lips. "You…" He looked away once more, glaring at the floor as if it were to blame for his lack of words.

"Runaan." Ethari spoke up.

Bright, sparkling eyes turned to him.

"You smell like a sewer baby."

Runaan blinked once then twice, pink dusting his cheeks underneath mud and dirt as he clamped his mouth shut and looked away again. "Erm… Where is…?"

"Over here." Ethari chuckled, guiding Runaan the first few steps with a hand on his forearm.

Ethari collected the clothes that were laid outside the bathroom doors and got to work, changing into fresh clothing himself before taking the sullied clothes they had worn earlier and shaking off as much dirt and leaves as possible outside before tossing them in the wash and chasing after the mud-covered dog. It took a while to get the poor pup clean, the thing had white fur underneath all that grime and didn't seem to like the water that much. Aaravos emerged from the bathroom before the dog was even halfway clean, collapsing onto the sofa like it was a fainting couch and he was in an old movie. Ethari cooed over the puppy the entire time he cleaned it, scolding lightly every now and then when it tried to jump out of the sink or nipped at his fingers. Aaravos came over eventually, gently holding the dog's face to look at him and murmuring something in a language Ethari didn't recognize. The dog calmed down a bit after that but stayed tense, but Aaravos stayed nearby and together they got the dog clean and dried and started a pot of water for tea as it ran around the house and rubbed its face into carpet and furniture before throwing itself sideways and falling asleep. Ethari left Aaravos in the kitchen to put the now clean clothes in the drier and came back to find him lounging on the couch once more with two mugs of brewing tea on the coffee table and a puppy on his chest.

"So… Lego movie?" Ethari mused with a smirk and quirked brow, sitting as Aaravos shifted to leave him room on the sofa.

"I felt like treating myself to a movie then went into the wrong screening room…" Aaravos hummed, resting his head on Ethari's leg and closing his eyes.

Ethari chuckled, leaning back into the couch and spreading Aaravos' long, damp hair across his lap to help it dry faster. "I don't have a hairdryer, sorry."

"Don't be," Aaravos hummed with a playful grin. "This is much better."

Ethari rolled his eyes, flicking the man's nose.

They stayed like that for a while until Aaravos sat up and declared the tea ready to drink. They chatted and sipped their drinks as the dogs ran about playing or slept.

"He's been in there for a while…" Ethari commented, looking back in the direction of his room.

"Runaan?" Aaravos quirked his brow with a smirk, following Ethari's gaze.

"Do you think he's okay?" Ethari looked back to him. "He fought that spawn without any moonlight, could that have hurt him?"

"Well it could, yes," Aaravos hummed in thought. "But Ibis didn’t seem too concerned, and he seemed fine beforehand."

Ethari stared down the hallway for a moment before standing and placing his mug on the table. "I'm just gonna check real quick."

He ignored the look Aaravos gave him as he made his way to his bedroom, pausing at the door to listen before opening it. "Runaan?" He didn't hear the shower running.

There was a surprisingly high pitched noise and a blur of white and black before the door was slammed shut with a large amount of force that sent Ethari stumbling back.

"Knock!" Runaan's voice exclaimed from the other side of the door before murmuring a soft but equally tense " _Fuck_..."

"I..." Ethari stammered. "S-sorry, just- you've been in there for a while now and I was worried. You're not injured from the battle, are you?"

"N-no," Runaan's voice assured. "I'm not injured, don't worry."

"Then… can I open the door?"

"...No."

"Why not?"

"I…" Runaan's voice disappeared for a moment before returning in a sheepish mumble that Ethari had to move his ear close to the door to hear. "I forget to grab pants…"

Ethari blinked, then covered his mouth in a failed attempt to silence his laughter. "You know you're in a room with a closet, right? A closet full of clothes?"

"I'm not going to go through your things without permission!"

"Well, I give you permission!" Ethari laughed. "Your clothes are in the drier, Aaravos and I made tea, come out before it gets cold."

"W-wait," Runaan's voice huffed from further within the bedroom. "I need to speak with you."

Ethari shifted the weight between his feet but nodded, then realized Runaan couldn't see the nod. "Alright."

He waited as he listened to the closet open and close, nerves and guilt playing ping pong in his skull. With all that happened today, there was no chance this talk would be a fun one, one pebbled with jokes or simply casual to begin with, but he waited all the same until Runaan opened the door. Despite being practically the same height, Ethari had a broader frame and build and preferred loose clothing, which now left Runaan standing in the doorway with a dusting of pink on his cheeks and long white hair loose, moonchild t-shirt almost falling off one shoulder and going partway down his thighs, and baggy sweatpants loose around his hips. It was kind of adorable. 

Ethari cleared his throat and glanced to the side as he ran a hand through his hair. "So…"

Runaan's eyes flickered over him before he moved back into the bedroom. "You're covered in mud too, you know."

Ethari blinked and glanced over himself, following Runaan in. "Not nearly as much as you were."

Runaan hummed, moving to sit on the bed before changing course and leaning against the wall with his arm folded across his chest.

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

Runaan gave another hum, bright eyes watching him. "Kind of."

Ethari sat on the bed, facing him, and waited for him to continue.

Runaan looked away for a moment before turning his gaze back to him, eyes gone hard and frown on his lips. "What you and Aaravos did today was unacceptable. What you did-" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as Ethari turned away. "Ethari," he began again, tone strict as he walked around the bed to face him. "I don't know if you grasp the gravity of this situation." He paused, giving Ethari the chance to speak, but continued when Ethari only diverted his gaze again. "Ethari, you are not only in danger of your people but my people as well, and the more you involve yourself- the more you do things like _this_ -" He gestured vaguely, around the room, towards the door, to the window. "Ethari, this… this can't continue."

Runaan stopped his lecture once more, giving Ethari the chance to speak, but he remained silent. Ethari gripped the bedsheets harshly in his fists, shoulders shaking, and then he burst into tears.

"E-ethari-" Runaan moved closer, moved to comfort him, but Ethari smacked his hand away with a snarl.

"So what? You're just going to leave again?" He spat, ember eyes flaring.

Runaan opened his mouth then closed it, his whirlpool eyes flickering over the pain stricken face in front of him before looking away. "I can't…"

"So what? Are you expecting _me_ to leave? Is that what you want?"

"No," Runaan all but whispered, gaze upon the ground. He looked smaller. "That's not what I want…"

"Have you ever stopped to think that I worry too?" Ethari was standing now, fists clenching the fabric of his own shirt above his chest. "Do you know how much I worry about you?!"

Runaans' eyes finally met his, large and vulnerable. 

Ethari took a deep breath, turning away and walking several steps before releasing the breath and running his hands through his hair. His hands rested on the back of his neck as he stared at the ground. "Do you have any idea how much I worry about you..?" He asked, calmer now, and turned back to Runaan who opened his mouth to speak before closing it and looking away. Ethari sighed, walking back over to the bed and sitting as he wiped the dampness from his cheeks. They stayed in silence for several long moments before Runaan slowly approached and sat on the other end of the bed, hands folded in his lap. 

"I was so worried…" Ethari continued, blotting fresh tears away before they could travel too far. "That day you disappeared… God, I was terrified." He turned to see Runaan watching at him.

"Why..?" Runaan finally asked, voice quiet.

"Because you dropped off the face of the fucking Earth, Runaan!" Ethari exclaimed, causing the man to tense a bit. "You and your friends vanished, there were missing persons reports about you on the news! Do you have any idea how scary that is? To see your friend become a fucking cold case?"

Runaans' eyes studied him, soft and somber and pained.

Ethari dropped his gaze to the carpet. "And then all these years later I see you again and you're… You're different. You're quiet in a different way and you've got one arm and a fucking baby and- and-"

"I'm sorry…" The reply was hardly audible, fragile.

Ethari looked back to him and this time Runaan faced the carpet. 

He was quiet for a moment before continuing. "I saw you that night," He whispered, loose hair slipping over his shoulder and screening his face as if to help hide a secret. "I saw you there and I wanted to go to you, but… but I turned and left… It was my job to- to leave that night. It wasn't supposed to be. I was going to come back right after the battle, apologize for being late- But that spawn… it was so strong…" His hand ghosted across his shoulder and down what remained of his left arm, squeezing the end of it as if doing so would make the rest of his limb grow back.

Ethari moved over, leg bumping Runaan's as he sat again and placed his hand atop his before gently lowering them both. "Runaan…"

Runaan moved to take his hand away, stopped halfway, then grasped Ethari's hand and buried his face in the man's shoulder. "Ethari, I don't want anything bad happening to you…" He breathed, moving closer until their legs pressed together as he held their hands to his chest. Ethari thought he could feel his heartbeat. "I can't leave, my mission is in Elarion, but Ethari… If anyone finds out about what you know, _who_ you know, someone will come for you. Either people from Xadia or people from the authorities or dark mages or-"

Ethari wrapped his arm around Runaan and he fell silent. He held him for a long moment, fingers wandering in his damp, silken hair before he broke the silence. "I can't leave either…"

Runaan nodded solemnly in the crook of his neck, hand lowering away from his. "I know… This is where your life is-"

"I can't leave you."

Runaan froze, breath hitching in his throat as Ethari took his hand again and held it atop their pressed legs. They sat in silence, Ethari tracing soft swirls on the back of his hand as the wind rushed through the trees outside.

Runaan broke the quiet after what could have been a minute or several, pulling his head away and turning to look Ethari in the face. His eyes searched his for a moment, sparkling in the dim light, lips parting slightly before pink dusted his cheeks and the tips of his ears and he looked away. "Thank you…" He finally said, giving Ethari's hand a light squeeze. "For letting me use your shower… It wasn't very pleasant being covered in mud."

Ethari laughed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Runaans' ear and giving his hand a squeeze in return. "Anytime. Now let's go, Aaravos might be raiding my kitchen by now."

Runaan shot a disapproving look at the door, a pout playing at his lips.

Ethari moved to get up but Runaan didn't follow suit, instead he took Ethari's hand and tugged on it so he sat down again. He fixed him with stern eyes that gave way to something softer as he looked down, grip loosening before he pulled his hand away. "Ethari… be careful. Please…"

Ethari nodded, taking Runaan's hand and giving it a squeeze as he wrapped his other arm around him in an embrace. "Only if you promise to do the same…"

Runaan grumbled something into his shoulder and Ethari laughed warmly in response, rising to his feet and tugging Runnan along with him. When they arrived at the living room Aaravos was in fact in the kitchen, but instead of poking through the fridge or pantry he was cleaning up the little mess the dog had made around the sink. He glanced over at the pair and grinned, eyes roaming them before he frowned with something akin to boredom or disappointment, then he glanced over Runaan once more.

"Welcome back to the party, _moon child_." He smirked.

"Fuck off." Runaan snatched a leash of the table and looked around the room to locate the puppies.

Once the clothes were dried, Aaravos and Runaan changed back into their respective outfits and the three men reattached the leashes to the dogs' collars. Ethari wound up walking Runaan home, Aaravos having gone his separate way and the puppies apparently having gained a fair amount of energy from their naps. Neither wanted a repeat of the day's earlier incident, despite the fact that the spawn in the gutter had been defeated, so they carried the dogs back to the apartment building. Runaan carried one dog in his arm and the second in a makeshift swaddle-wrap-thing Ethari had made with a scarf and tied around his chest before tucking the white dog in it, Ethari carried the other two dogs and together they made their way downtown.

“I won’t go searching for spawns again,” Ethari said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. “Not unless I feel it’s necessary, that is.”

Runaan’s lips stretched a bit, a frown playing at their edges as he watched Ethari frown the corner of his eyes.

“But if I run into some or the later I’m not going to do not do anything either.” He continued, earning a reluctant hum in response.

“I’d prefer it if you’d just tell me instead of trying to handle it on your own.” Runaan frowned, eyes roaming the street ahead of them.

“I’d prefer you do that too.” Ethari countered.

Runaan directed his frown at Ethari now. “You know I can’t do that.”

Ethari frowned back, his expression taking a solemn tone instead of stern like Runaan’s. He sighed and turned to look ahead at the sidewalk and the people walking around despite the late hour. “I know.”

Silence fell upon them once more as they walked, wind playing in their hair and sending fallen leaves dancing across asphalt and concrete. Families, couples, and people in solitaire walked about. A stray cat laid on its side on the steps of a bakery, tail swaying lazily. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees they passed and Ethari watched it all as he walked. Elarion was different from Silvergrove, it was bigger and the air smelled different. There were more people. Something warm pressed into his arm before moving away to simply brush against his sleeve, luring him out of his silent musing. Ethari looked over to see Runaan had moved closer, cold wind combing through his hair and leaving a pink tint on his nose and cheeks.

“Do you think it’s going to rain soon?” He asked quietly, turning his gaze to meet Ethari’s, the glow from the fairy lights dancing about in his eyes.

Ethari looked back up to the sky and examined the clouds. “Hm… It kind of looks like it, maybe sometime in the night or tomorrow.”

“Rayla hates the rain…”

Ethari chuckled and moved closer, pressing their arms together. “She’ll make it through, don’t worry.”

Runaan watched him, giving a hum in response before looking away, watching his feet move across the sidewalk.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just tired I suppose.”

Ethari hummed, watching the light play across his face as they walked. “Coffee tomorrow?” He asked suddenly.

Runaan blinked, eyes meeting his and holding a question.

“Erm, I mean, you like coffee, don’t you? You always go to that place near your school-”

“Fuck…”

“What is it?”

“I was supposed to submit an essay by noon…”

Ethari let out a warm laugh, pressing his forehead into Runaan’s shoulder as he pulled himself back together. “Can you turn in late work?” Runaan didn’t reply. Ethari raised his head to see him, finding those brilliant blue eyes locked on him. “Runaan?”

Runaan blinked back to life, cheeks deepening their pink hue. “Huh?”

Ethari chuckled and straightened. “Can you still submit it?”

“Oh, uh, probably, yes.”

“Well that’s good,” Ethari chuckled. “But now the remaining question is: Did you do the essay?”

“Coffee you say?” Runaan snapped his gaze forward, sidetails whisking with the sudden movement.

Ethari let out another burst of laughter, nudging Runaan’s elbow with his own. “Yes, coffee. Do you want to meet up there tomorrow morning?”

Runaan was quiet for a moment before he nudged Ethari back, eyes flickering back to him. “I’d like that.”

Ethari beamed and got a soft smile in return before Runaan diverted his eyes again and went back to watching his feet. They walked the rest of the way to the apartment complex with their arms pressed lightly together, occasionally nudging each other amidst their banter or just randomly in quiet moments until they were both snickering like children and receiving odd looks from passersby. Ethari pushed the door to the apartment building shut with his foot before kneeling to set the dogs in his arms down and grabbing their leashes, Runaan doing the same. He let out a soft puff of breath, blowing hair out of his face as he stood, and Ethari smirked.

“Alright,” Runaan said, Rubbing his shoulder and looking up the nearby flight of stairs then to the elevator. “I should be fine from here, thank you-” He paused and tilted his head with a sheepish smile. “Again.”

Ethari chuckled, passing Runaan the leashes. “Don’t worry about it, I’m happy to help. Always.” He paused and looked Runaan over with a hum.

“W-what?” Runaan furrowed his brows, the tint on his cheeks darkening a touch.

“You’re cold.” Ethari shrugged off his jacket, stepping forward to wrap it around Runaan and set it over his shoulders.

Runaan stammered, eyes widening and the pink hue reaching his ears. “I- You-”

“Oh, don’t pretend like you didn’t just walk all the way here with damp hair and no sleeves.” Ethari chided lightly, fishing through his pocket. “And one more thing-” He pulled Runaan’s earring from his pocket. “You sort of threw this at me earlier.”

Runaan’s mouth made an “o” shape, brows rising sharply on his forehead. Ethari chuckled and moved closer, brushing Runaan’s hair out of the way but finding an earring already in place. Runaan fidgetted before turning his head so the other side faced Ethari and tilted his gaze to the floor. “Oops.” Ethari laughed lightly, pushing long white hair out of the way and returning the earring to its spot on Runaan’s earlobe. He hummed softly, looking over the piercings that littered Runaan’s ear before taking his hands away and stepping back.

Runaan raised his hand to adjust the earring, cheeks a fair shade of pink. “Right then…” He mumbled, gaze focused on a random spot on the floor.

“Are you catching a fever?” Ethari questioned, stepping closer once more to place a hand on his forehead. Runaan glared up at him. Ethari blinked and moved his hand away, looking to the side. “If you were that cold you should've said something...”

Runaan huffed a sigh, pushing loose hair out of his face. “It’s late.”

“You have an essay to write.” Ethari looked back to him with a smirk, fully accepting the glare he knew he’d receive. “Goodnight, Runaan.” He chuckled, giving his shoulder a squeeze before turning to the door.

“Goodnight…”

Runaan watched as the door closed, sealing Ethari away from his line of sight. He sighed and closed his eyes, tipping his head up as he took a deep breath. The smell of Ethari filled his nose, the scent of metal and roses, and his eyes flew open, heat rising to his face. Ethari had given him his jacket, and he still had his scarf tied around his torso to hold the white puppy with. He fidgeted, watching the dogs scamper about and stretch their leashes for a minute, glancing at the door occasionally to see if Ethari would come back with a sheepish grin and a comment about the cold weather, but he didn’t. Runaan sighed and tugged the leashes, slowly guiding the puppies into the elevator before pressing the button for his floor. He watched the front door until the elevator doors cut it out of sight, leaning against the railing as the pups tripped over themselves. The elevator jarred into motion and he closed his eyes, taking another deep breath. Metal and roses filled his head. _Fuck._

He opened his eyes with a huff. “Idiot…”

“Take these things from me before I trip over one of them.” Runaan insisted once he’d made it into the apartment room he shared with Ibis, waving the leashes about as he closed the door with his foot.

Ibis looked up from his spot on the couch where he sat with Rayla in his lap. “You look like you had fun.” He mused, glancing Runaan over before standing and crossing the room. “Stay still for a minute, we can trade.” He shifted Rayla to one arm and kneeled, unclipping the leashes before taking them from Runaan and setting them on the table by the door. He handed Rayla to Runaan then pulled the white dog from the swaddle wrap, setting it down before moving around Runaan to disentangle him from the scarf.

Runaan gave a nod of thanks, bouncing Rayla in his arm as she giggled and tangled her little hands in his loose hair.

“See,” Ibis smiled, pulling a hair tie from his pocket before freeing Runaan’s hair from the infant's grasp and tying it back. “She’s in one piece.”

Runaan hummed, rubbing Rayla’s leg with his thumb. “Did you have a good day, moondrop?” Rayla babbled, leaning against him and reaching for his side tails. Runaan chuckled softly, crossing the room to sit on the couch. “That’s good.”

Ibis sat next to him, Ethari’s scarf folded on his lap. “What do you think? Continue with the daycare? It did come in handy today.”

Runaan gave another hum. “Maybe… I’d like to see the place for myself before we finalize anything.”

Ibis nodded, setting the scarf on the arm of the couch and leaning back, a light smile playing with his features. “We can stop by tomorrow if you’d like? Before I go to work?”

“What time do you go in?”

“Noon.”

Runaan gave a nod of agreement. “I should be back by then.”

“Back from what?”

“Oh, uhm…” Runaan focused his gaze on the birds resting in the open birdcage. “Coffee.”

“Coffee?” Ibis quirked his head, then his gaze landed on the jacket around Runaan’s shoulders. He ran his finger across the purple fabric of the scarf. “Ah.”

Runaan huffed a sigh, standing and making his way to the kitchen area of their apartment. “I could go for coffee now, honestly.”

“Decaf.”

“Right, sure, of course.”

“I assumed you had a chat with Ethari?” Ibis asked, walking over and taking Rayla back so Runaan could set the coffee pot.

“Well, yes…”

“How’d it go?” Ibis took the bag of coffee grains from Runaan’s hand and replaced it with the bag of decaf ground.

Runaan sighed, opening the bag and scooping its contents into the coffee maker. “He… I suppose we came to a sort of compromise."

“Compromise?”

“Sort of.”

“How so?”

“He said he wouldn’t go searching for trouble on purpose again, but if he came across any he wasn’t going to simply stand by.”

Ibis hummed, rubbing Raylas back as Runaan snapped the coffee maker shut and turned it on. “Runaan…” He began slowly, fixing him with mint colored eyes. “There’s only so much I can hide from Zubeia. If something happens…”

“Nothing will happen.” Runaan took Rayla back, perhaps a bit roughly, and leaned against the counter.

“Runaan…”

“I won’t let it.” Runaan cursed the way his words sounded, the way his voice betrayed him. He knew the risk, he knew how crazy all this was, but… “They don’t even expect me to make it out of this anyway, once the mission is done none of this will matter.”

“Runaan-!” Either Ibis didn’t have an end for that sentence or he forgot to finish it, distress pulling his features as he watched Runaan cradle the child in his arm. Taking a breath, he moved in front of Runaan, placing one hand over his and the other on his shoulder. Runaan didn’t look at him. Ibis opened his mouth but no words came out. Seeming to finally give up, he sighed and leaned his forehead against Runaans, watching Rayla bable quietly. “Perhaps… I think they would miss you though.”

“Xadia?”

“You’re friends, Rayla, me…”

Runaan huffed a joyless laugh.

“Imagine if you do live through this,” Ibis spoke after a minute, pulling his head away to look Runaan in the face. “They’d probably fulfill whatever request you gave them, you could end your contract.”

Runaan let out another harsh laugh. “End my contract? The only way to end a contract is to prove to be no longer useful, die, or the ladder.”

“You’ve proved your loyalty, your willingness, and after this…”

“Aaravos will be dead…”

Ibis slowly nodded, gaze drifting to the stars outside their window. “It… It won’t be easy, but- just try and imagine the life you could have if you survive.”

Runaan reluctantly complied, to humor Ibis if nothing else, and took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. _Metal and roses…_ Rayla squirmed in his arm before settling down with a yawn. _The life I could have…_ He took another breath and leaned further against the counter. 

_The life I could have..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to describe their magical girl outfits decently but if I failed you can find Runaan's on my Tumblr @Jal-The-Jinxed (I didn't get a chance to draw the rest of the characters before my tablet went bonkers, but if you guys are interested I can post some of the concept doodles or sketches from my sketchbook?)  
> If you have any requests or questions or whatever feel free to leave a comment or toss it at my tumblr, thank you for reading!


	2. Day Of The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Runaan wishes for Ibis to have a pleasant birthday, but in Elarion nothing is ever that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late for Ibis' birthday, oops..

There was no sunshine this day. Instead, dark clouds cloaked the sky and basked the city in gentle shadows, thunder rumbling in the distance and whispering the promise of a storm. Ibis breathed it all in, ascending the walkway to the police station’s front door with a hint of pep in his step.

"What lovely weather…" He sighed, pushing the doors open and entering the busy building.  He placed his hands in the pockets of his long coat and watched the various officers move about the building as he walked further in.

"Ibis," A familiar voice called. "Good morning."

"Fen," Ibis smiled kindly despite the slight coldness Fen often treated him with. "Good morning to you as well."

"The chief wants to see you in her office."

"Has something happened?" Ibis' smile dropped, brows furrowing in concern, but Fen was already walking away and left him with no answer. Ibis turned in the direction of the chief's office and walked toward it briskly, knocking before opening the door. "Chief Amaya, is everything alri-"

"Happy birthday!" Two voices cheered, Amaya signing along from where she stood behind her desk with a grin.

Ibis jumped, eyes widening as he opened his mouth but forgot to speak.  _ Birthday? _ His eyes landed on a small cake with a single candle in its center that sat atop Amaya's desk.  _ My birthday is today, I completely forgot. _ Amaya waved him further in with a grin, gesturing for him to sit down.

Ibis looked between Corvus and Gren who stood at opposite sides of the desk. "Not that I'm not flattered," He began, taking a seat in his usual chair with a small smile. "but how did you know today was my birthday?"

"I ran into your roommate this weekend and he mentioned it," Gren explained, sliding a small stack of paper plates with some plastic forks on it over to Amaya who was cutting the cake. "He was nice, a bit quiet."

"That's not the word you used to describe him when you spoke with me." Corvus grinned, settling himself into the chair next to Ibis.

" _ Shy _ ," Gren said quickly, freckled cheeks growing a touch pinker. "He was a bit shy."

Corvus snickered softly as Amaya slid a plate containing a slice of cake in front of everyone in the office, pressing the candle into the slice before Ibis then lighting it.

"Make a wish." Gren translated for her.

Ibis quirked his brows, smiling softly as he watched the candle’s flame twist and dance. 

_ A wish? _ He couldn't help but find the idea humorous, but he made no comment on it and instead leaned forward and closed his eyes to blow out the candle. The others applauded lightly as he straightened and looked between them all again. "This… is very kind of you, thank you."

The rest of the briefing went as usual, save for the cake and the fact Corvus was there. The detective was usually out and about by now, not that Ibis minded his presence. They finished the briefing, chatted a bit, then said their goodbyes before Ibis headed out, thanking them one last time for the cake. A cold gust of wind greeted him as he left the station, ruffling his hair and blowing his coat back. He hummed softly, tucking the flash drive Amaya had given him into the inside breast pocket of his jacket as he descended the path to the sidewalk. He'd have to look over the drive's contents again later. 

_ What else is there to do today…? _ He formed a partial list in his head as he walked down the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, but his mind wandered back to the sweet taste in his mouth.  _ When was the last time I had cake? _ He mulled over the thought for a moment.  _ The year before I was recruited, _ he decided, something sour mixing with the sweetness on his tongue. He shook his head as if to shake away whatever thoughts had begun to form and continued walking. His gaze wandered about the street as he went, keeping his mind busy with other things like places Runaan could have ran into Gren. Runaan sometimes took Rayla to the park in the evening if he felt the weather was nice enough, perhaps they had bumped into each other there? 

Ibis' attention was stolen by a TV on display in a pawnshop window. The screen was on and playing the news, a blurry picture of himself mid-flight in his elven form on the screen.

_ "Caution:" _ The screen read beneath the picture.  _ "Dark Wing confirmed. Three magical girls in Elarion. Remain in pairs or groups when out at night." _

Ibis leaned closer, hands on the glass and nose brushing against its cool surface as he gaped at the screen behind it.

"Oh dear…" He breathed.

He knew there was no chance of someone recognizing him with the enchantment Zubeia placed on every transformation jewel unless someone saw him transform, and with the quality of the picture there weren't any discernible features to worry about, but something in Ibis felt unsettled. Judging from the buildings in the background, the scene looked like the battle he had assisted in earlier that week, but he hadn't noticed any civilians during the affair. He read the text that slid across the bottom of the screen once more. This wasn't good. It wasn't doomingly bad, but it was still something that would have been ideally avoided. Runaan was the one who was supposed to fight spawns, Lotus Blossom was a name the public gave him years ago, a name known in several cities, a name that now plagued Elarion.

_ Dark Wing…  _ He read once more.  _ That's fair, my wings  _ are  _ black... _ He shifted the weight between his feet, eyes flickering across the screen as a small frown tugged at his lips. Was he becoming one of the things this city feared?

“I know right?” A deep voice sighed across his cheek. “They never get my good side either.”

“Aaravos!” Ibis exclaimed, whirling around and pressing his back against the window.

Aaravos grinned, raising a brow as he leaned to the side and peered over Ibis’ shoulder. “Dark Wing…” He hummed, raising a white brow as he looked back to Ibis.

Ibis quickly turned his face away, looking at anything but the man before him. Being named was ill-advised for any healer, but conversing with Aaravos was a huge no-no for any servant of Xadia. “If you’ll excuse me…” He mumbled, fidgeting with his jacket collar as he stepped to the side. 

Aaravos echoed his movement. “June 12th.”

“W-what?” He surrendered to looking back to Aaravos, having cornered himself in the nook where the display window met a pillar of brick that arched into an entryway. 

“June 12th,” Aaravos repeated, smiling coyly as he held his hands in front of his waist, fingertips and thumbs meeting in a diamond-like shape. “On Baker Street.”

Ibis studied him.

“Around nightfall.” Aaravos added, stepping out of Ibis’ personal space.

Ibis straightened himself, easing out of the corner and adjusting his coat. “Right…” He focused his gaze on a random tree.

Aaravos chuckled, tucking a lock of loose hair behind his ear. “I do hope to see you and water lily there,” He purred, something dangerous shining in his eyes. “Something tells me it’ll be a  _ doozy _ .”

“Doozy…” Ibis repeated uneasily, chancing a glance back to Aaravos to find him examining the tree he had been staring at. Aaravos turned back to him and Ibis quickly looked away, but he still saw the grin spread across Aaravos’ lips.

“Ethari goes through Baker Street on occasion, yes?”

Ibis paused, turning back to Aaravos in time to watch the man begin to walk past him and place a hand on his shoulder momentarily.

“Do let him know to take an alternative route. See you around, birdy.” He gave Ibis’ shoulder a squeeze then walked away, disappearing around the street corner.

“Mother-” Ibis breathed, clutching his chest and leaning against the bricks beside him as he took a sharp breath. “Heck.”

He peered over his shoulder at the corner Aaravos had taken, watching it for a moment before briskly making his way to the apartment building. There was a chance Aaravos was just messing with him, or perhaps it was a trap or part of some scheme- But Aaravos was a Startouch elf, and that meant he could glimpse the future on occasion. Or something like that. Ibis frowned at a stain on the elevator floor. He’d need to read a book on star magic once he returned to Xadia, though by then the knowledge he’d gain wouldn’t be applicable to the mission. He sighed, tilting his head back until it rested against the elevator wall, feeling the vibrations of the machine as it carried him up.

_ Perhaps I should have done a better job preparing for this… It’s not my job to fight Aaravos, but... _

“I’m home!” Ibis announced once he was in the apartment, swinging the door shut behind him as he pulled the flash drive out of his coat and kicked his shoes off. He left them by the door, half fallen over as he made his way to the couch. He tugged his laptop into his lap and inserted the drive, opening it and scrolling away. “Baker Street…” He murmured. Surely enough, several incidents on Baker Street had been archived. “Oh dear… Runaan, I think-” He paused, realizing he was alone in the apartment, save for the animals.

“Runaan, Runaan!” One of the parrots squawked. “Heck!”

Ibis smiled softly, running a finger over the birds head and down its back. “Let’s hope he’s at a study group, hm?”

Dumor leaned against his hand and chittered softy.

“Fucker!” Kyan cried, landing beside Dumor and wedging himself between her and Ibis’ hand.

“Now that’s not very nice-”

“Jerk!” Dumor squaked back.

The birds flapped their wings and bickered, walking back and forth along the back of the couch. Ibis watched them, mouth half open and brows drawn up. This was familiar… They were reenacting an argument he and Runaan had, if poorly.

“Stop that!” Ibis pushed the computer from his lap and turned to kneel on the couch, separating the birds with a look of disapproval. “Do as I say, not as I do.” The parrots squawked once more but settled down, if a bit reluctantly. Ibis sighed, letting his arms hang over the back of the couch as he rested his forehead against the worn fabric. “That wasn’t even recent…” He pouted. He slid down until he was laying on his side, frowning at the couch. Would Runaan be upset once he found out the public had named him? Probably… He sighed, rolling onto his back and pulling his coat over his face. If Runaan didn’t know, he would have to tell him. Ibis groaned, throwing his arms into the mess of fabric over his face. “I swear I didn’t see anyone…”

_ “You can never be too cautious,” _ a voice within his head warned.

“Cautious my butt,” Ibis mumbled. “This entire mission is a mess…” He rolled onto his side once more, this time facing the rest of the apartment as he hugged his coat to his stomach.

He shifted to the edge of the couch and stretched his arm out to pet a ferret who lay atop a toy Rayla had probably thrown earlier that morning while Ibis had been out. He hummed in thought, eyes scanning over the room. It was kind of messy and there was the faint scent of smoke in the air. Ibis furrowed his brows, sitting up with his head cocked to the side. Runaan hated messes, why would he leave the apartment like this? 

“Where’s Runaan..?” Ibis asked the empty room. He frowned, running a hand over his head before turning to open the window behind the couch. A surge of cool air dashed through the window, ruffling his hair. He let his eyes slide shut as he took a breath of the fresh air, thunder rumbling in the distance.  _ The responsible thing to do would be to clean… _ He reminded himself, folding his arms atop the back of the couch and resting his chin on them. Lightning cracked through the sky. “I’ll get to work in a minute…” He murmured, settling against the back of the couch. 

A flutter of wings pulled him from his tranquility.

“Dumor!” He exclaimed, launching himself halfway out the window with an outstretched hand as he watched the bird take off.

"Fucker!" Kyan squawked, taking off after the blue bird.

"Kyan, no!" But the birds were already gone.

“Put that back,” Ethari plucked the box of cake mix from Runaan’s hand and set it back on the shelf. “Do you want my help or not? Don’t you trust me?”

Runaan opened his mouth then closed it, brows furrowing helplessly as he stared at Ethari.

“We’ll make the cake from scratch,” Ethari elaborated, a smile resting easily on his lips. “It’ll taste better.”

“The last time I tried to cook something from scratch I nearly burned the castle down…” Runaan huffed. “And don’t get me started on the disaster in the apartment this morning- and that was with cake mix.” He frowned up at Ethari who stared with his mouth half open.

“The… castle?” He finally managed.

Runaan blinked, then averted his gaze and moved around Ethari. “If we’re not getting cake mix, why are we in this aisle to begin with?”

“For… For candles,” Ethari shook his head, guiding Runaan to the small selection of birthday candles suspended to the wall with little hooks and wires. “Pick something you think he’d like.”

Runaan hummed in thought for a moment before selecting a small package of white candles with pastel stripes that swirled up along their length. Rayla babbled from within her stroller. Runaan placed the candles in the basket Ethari held then leaned over the stroller, letting Rayla grab at his fingers as she cooed. A light smile ghosted his lips as he looked back to Ethari and raised a brow. “So what will we need for this better tasting cake?”

“Eggs, flour, butter…” Ethari began walking down the aisle again, Runaan at his side. “Depends on what kind of cake you want to make as well.”

Runaan furrowed his brows, watching Rayla as if the child would suddenly speak the answer. “He likes fruit.” He finally said, turning to Ethari with a hopeful look.

“I can work with that.” Ethari chuckled, reaching to help Runaan turn the stroller as they left the aisle. “Have you got him a present yet?”

“No…” Runaan hummed, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Gift giving isn’t really part of birthday celebrations at…  _ work. _ ” He cleared his throat before continuing. “We typically just eat something a bit nicer than usual with some friends, though I’m not sure how people from his department celebrate. Actually, I’m not sure if those in his department do celebrate such things. I admittedly haven’t spoken to too many people of Ibis’ profession, but I haven’t heard of any of them celebrating birthdays either.”

“Really?” Ethari raised a brow, guiding Runaan down another aisle. “Why not?”

“Well…” Runaan lowered his voice, eyes scanning the area before he continued in a whisper. “People in my department typically only celebrate because it’s a bit of a feat to make it through a year, you know? Most healers don’t get entangled with conflict, but…” He frowned, trailing off.

“Ah, I think I get it.”

They stopped in front of a shelf filled with an assortment of flour.

“They celebrate new years,” Runaan spoke up, selecting a bag of flour off the shelf and looking it over. “Quite raucously too.” He held the bag out to Ethari who laughed lightly as he took it.

“Raucous?” Ethari smirked.

“Raucous.” Runaan nodded, sidetails bobbing.

Ethari chuckled softly, placing the flour in his basket and continuing down and out of the aisle. “I don’t think I can even picture Ibis being  _ raucous _ .”

Runaan raised a brow at him. “Were you not with us outside the museum last weekend?” He asked incredulously before dropping his voice to a whisper again. “I’m pretty sure they could hear him shouting spells in fucking Canada.”

Ethari burst into more laughter. “Okay, fair point, I’ll give you that.” He covered his mouth and chuckled softly. “Well, whether he typically celebrates his birthday or not, I hope he enjoys this.”

“Me too.” Runaan hummed in agreement, expression dimming. “He has to put up with quite a lot on my part, and I know how stressful this particular job is for him…”

Ethari gave a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure he’ll love this then.”

Runaan looked up at him with a hum, sky-like eyes searching his own, and he happily watched, but then Runaan's eyes flickered past him. “We passed the produce section.”

“Fuck-”

Aaravos ran his hands through his hair as he walked, the wind whisking it around and occasionally into his face. It was starting to rain. Though it was only just sprinkling at the moment, he had no doubt the clouds would unleash a full shower that would drench the city and flood the roads. He smiled to himself as he watched the darkened sky. The storms in Elarion were always so nice...

He paused when he brought his gaze back to the earth, eyes landing on a familiar face for the second time that day. "Ibis?"

The man didn't hear him, which didn't surprise Aaravos, the wind was persistent and he wasn't standing that close, and Ibis seemed a bit preoccupied. He sat on a bench that faced the street in the residential area, head tilted up at the sky. He didn't wear his typical long coat, instead he just sat there in a sweater and slacks, laces loose on one boot. Aaravos moved closer, watching the wind play with the man's fluffy hair, and noted the look on his face along with his posture.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Skytouch look so distraught in such lovely weather." He pondered in a whisper against Ibis' ear, leaning over the back of the bench and resting his arms atop it just next to the man's shoulders.

"Aaravos!" Ibis exclaimed, turning towards him and leaning away with wide eyes.

"We really must stop meeting like this." He smirked.

Ibis shifted further toward the edge of the bench as Aaravos walked around it. "What do you want…?"

Aaravos hummed, smoothing his skirt as he sat and looked Ibis over once more. "You're upset."

Ibis frowned softly, straightening his shoulders and looking away.

"Is it the whole Dark Wing thing?" Aaravos asked quietly, examining the man next to him.

"Go away please…"

Aaravos frowned, turning away and tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "I'm merely trying to help."

"I'm not supposed to talk to you."

Aaravos huffed, swinging his body so one leg hung off the bench and the other pressed its back. He took Ibis' shoulder and turned him so they faced each other. "Ibii, if Runaan gets to be a student, a godfather, and Elarion's most emotionally unavailable bachelor, you get to talk about your feelings."

Ibis frowned softly, eyes drifting to the ground before focusing on some rock. "Do… you see any birds?"

Aaravos raised his brows but sifted his gaze through the sky, over the power lines, across the trees and buildings. "No, I don't." He looked back to Ibis. "Don't tell me you're upset because you can't go bird watching?"

"No…" Ibis fidgeted with his broach.

"Then what's wrong?" Aaravos purred the words as he leaned a little closer, made them sound soft and gentle as they drifted off his tongue.

Ibis fidgeted a moment more before speaking. "There's… these birds I take care of, two specifically- a blue parrot and a green one- they… I don't know where they are. I know it's ridiculous, but-"

Aaravos hushed him with a single finger pressed lightly to the man's lips. "If Runaan gets to be a student, a godfather, and Elarion's most emotionally unavailable bachelor, you can have a pet bird or two."

"It's not supposed to be like that though," Ibis huffed, turning his face away. "None of this should be happening. I should be focused on Runaan, not animals."

Aaravos hummed, plucking a leaf from Ibis' shoulder and turning it over between his fingers. "You wanna know what I think?" He raised a brow, returning his gaze to Ibis.

Ibis fidgeted then reluctantly did the same.

"Fuck the system."

Ibis blinked twice, opened his mouth, then shut it again. "O-oh."

Aaravos chuckled, leaning his side against the back of the bench and letting his arm rest atop it. "You take this all far too seriously, birdy." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Do you think Xadian soldiers will pop up out of thin air the second you stray from their ideals? Look around, look at how astray things have gotten. Xadia wants to forget this mission is even happening. Why else do you think they've given Runaan so much? It's to keep him happy and out of their hair! They don't care what you do as long as your job is part of it." He tilted his head back and closed his eyes as thunder rumbled through the air. "You'll see it once you return."

Ibis fidgeted beside him but remained silent, fiddling with the cuff of his sweater as he stared at his hands.

“...Do you want to look for your birds?” Aaravos broke the silence, cracking an eye open to peer down at the man beside him.

Ibis was looking at him in an instant, mouth open in an answer he wouldn’t dare speak. He turned away again and frowned at the ground, dusting off his trousers as he stood. “I should…” His eyes flickered back to Aaravos for a breath before he turned his back to him. “I should go.”

Aaravos frowned. “Do your birds have names? I can look for them.”

“Have… a good day.”

Aaravos hummed in reply, watching Ibis walk away. “They have you wrapped around their claw, don’t they, Ibis?” He murmured the question to himself, tilting his head back once more to watch the sky again.

A shrill siren pulled him from whatever musings had begun inside his head. He looked in time to see a squad of police cars pull into the neighborhood, one pulling over and stopping by Ibis with a cry from the breaks. Aaravos was dashing down the street in an instant, hands grasping Ibis’ arm and harshly pulling him away as a man got out of the car. He raised his hand to cast a spell but Ibis gripped his wrist harshly and pulled his hand back down.

“Detective!” Ibis exclaimed, eyes darting between the racing cop cars and the man before him on the other side of the car.

“Ibis,” The man said, gaze drifting to Aaravos as he raised a scarred eyebrow. “And…?”

Aaravos examined the man for a moment, wrapping his arms around Ibis’. His dark brown hair was braided and pulled back in a bun and he had a short, several-day shadow of stubble along his chin and jaw. He wore dark jeans with boots and a button-up shirt under a brown leather coat and light blue scarf. He was handsome, but most importantly he was armed. Aaravos dragged his eyes back to the man's face and gave his best smile. “Me? I’m a friend.”

“Is something wrong, Corvus?” Ibis spoke up.

Corvus turned his skeptical look to Ibis and nodded, expression turning serious. “There’s a…  _ situation. _ I noticed you and thought you might want to tag along.”

Aaravos raised a brow, looking between the two men and noting every small movement.

“Thank you,” Ibis smiled kindly. “But I’m afraid I must decline. I’m just an investigator, I don’t have the jurisdiction to run into situations, arms blazing.”

Corvus nodded. “Then I’d recommend you head home, it’ll be safer. I’ll give you the report tomorrow.” He began to get back into his car, paused, then looked back to Aaravos. “Nice meeting you.”

“Naturally.” Aaravos replied.

Ibis tugged his arm out of Aaravos’ grasp as Corvus glanced between them once more and got into his car before driving off.

“Ibis…” Aaravos began, eyes practically glowing in the dim light the clouds allowed to pass. “Explain.”

Ibis only glanced at him, preoccupied with watching which way the car went. “I don’t have to explain myself.” He finally said.

Aaravos moved in front of him then stepped closer, dropping his voice to a harsh whisper. “You’re working with your enemy?”

“No, I’m not.” Ibis replied easily, honestly, as he stepped back.

Aaravos watched him a moment more, replaying the scene in his head. “You’re using their intel… You’re an informant! You’re playing the cops!”

Ibis pressed his lips together, stepping back as Aaravos stepped forward. “I’m doing my job.”

Aaravos grinned wildly. “Ibis, I never took you for a canary!

Ibis frowned, expression going somewhat harsh. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to do my job.” He moved around Aaravos, bumping shoulders with him as he passed.

Aaravos had to take a moment. That was probably the most aggressive thing he’d ever witness Ibis do. He turned, watching the man briskly walk down the street then grinned.

_ I have a job to do as well, dear canary. _

He placed his hands in his pockets and hummed, glancing over the area he selected a secluded spot and slid into its shadows. The pendant on his short necklace shimmered, flecks of purple tinted light falling from it then wrapping around his body. The light surged then erupted in a shower of purple flakes that faded as they fell to the ground before disappearing. Aaravos stood in his elven form and took a deep breath, the energy of the brewing storm running through him. He placed his hands on his shoulders and ran them down his arms, drawing glittering runes upon his skin with light. 

“Manus. Pluma. Volantus.” He threw his arms to the side, deep blue feathers speckled with bits of yellow growing from them until he had a large pair of wings. “What lovely weather…”

Ibis was watching the police cars shrink into the distance, noting the streets they took and running through possible destinations in his head, when Aaravos suddenly flew over him.  _ Flew. _ Ibis’ eyes practically bulged out of his skull as the Startouch shot him a wink before darting after the cars through the air. Several people shrieked, most blundered their way back into their homes, but Ibis just stared. Aaravos knew what he was doing, what the authorities were charging towards. Ibis’ hands fluttered anxiously, searching for something that wasn’t there.

“Oh dear…” He breathed, taking a step backward.

His eyes darted around the street before spotting a secluded area shrouded by trees. He swallowed, disappearing into the space as discreetly as possible. He took a deep breath, broach glowing and shedding flakes of light as he steadied himself. This was a terrible idea, but he couldn’t let Aaravos arrive before Runaan, none the less Corvus. The flakes of light grew in size as they fell then enveloped him, surging before erupting into translucent dust that wafted to the ground and disappeared. He stood in his elven form, skin a dark grey and ears shaped like pointed butterfly wings. His horns curved back and out from the sides of his head, fading to a lighter grey at their tips like the coloration on his arms. He wore a short dress and a pair of light mint colored boots that ended above his knees. The poofy skirt of the dress was a light green color that faded into a deeper green at his neck. A short dark navy vest was laced around his chest, capped with a band of silver that arched like wings and mimicked them in shape with the primal stone from his broach sat in the center. 

He lifted his arms forward. “Manus! Pluma! Volantus!”

“Thank you for helping me with this.” Runaan said from where he kneeled in front of the oven, watching the cakes bake inside through the screen.

Ethari chuckled, wiping some splattered batter off the countertop with a rag. “Don’t thank me yet, we’re not even done.”

“Perhaps,” Runaan stood and faced Ethari. “But this is much further than I’ve ever gotten when trying to bake.”

“Further?” Ethari raised a brow with a smirk as he brushed his thumb across Runaan’s cheek, wiping away some flour and holding his thumb so Runaan could see it. “Do you mean progress on the cake or the ingredients’ travel miles?”

Runaan stared at the flour on Ethari’s thumb, cheeks heating a bit. “Ah- Uh, I’m going to go wash up, excuse me.”

Ethari snickered, moving aside so Runaan could get past and head to the bathroom. He went back to cleaning, setting out some fruit to wash and cut. A whine carried through the room from near the table. Ethari tutted softly, drying off his hands before heading to the source of the cry.

“Well, good afternoon to you too, miss Rayla,” Ethari smiled warmly, kneeling next to the stroller and peering in. “Did you have a nice nap?”

Rayla hiccuped and cried some more, face scrunched up as she tossed her blanket about.

“Oh dear, it’s alright.” Ethari straightened and carefully picked Rayla up, cradling her in his arms. “Shh… You’re alright, it’s okay...”

The bathroom door swung open with a clang. Ethari flinched, quickly looking up and holding Rayla a bit tighter.

“Ethari, I apologize, but something’s come up- I received a message from Ibis...” Runaan briskly walked from the bathroom, paused halfway to the door, and glanced between it, Ethari, and Rayla. He arched his brows apologetically.

Ethari nodded, crossing the room as Rayla whined gently in his arms. “Go. Just come back in one piece…”

Runaan took a breath and nodded, ducking his head to place a kiss atop Rayla’s forehead. “Be good.” He straightened, paused, then gave Ethari’s shoulder a squeeze whilst staring at the floor before making his way out, ponytail trailing behind him.

Ethari watched the door close, then drifted to the window and watched Runaan dash out of sight. He stared at where he had been a moment before, then reluctantly looked at the TV. He contemplated turning it on to see the news coverage of whatever was happening but decided otherwise. “They never put what really happened on television anyway…” He shook his head and focused on the fussing child in his arms. 

It hadn’t taken Aaravos long to notice Ibis was chasing after him. The Startouch grinned before speeding up, leaving Ibis further behind than the Skywing would have liked. They stayed high in the air, high enough for the people below to not recognize the things in the sky as two dudes with wings. Ibis’ heart raced. This was a terrible idea. Aaravos would dance circles around him then Corvus would probably shoot him and then have some sort of crisis as he watched his corpse morph back into the Ibis he recognized. But Runaan was on the other side of town, and while he could cover ground quickly, this… Ibis trailed his eyes over the fleeing people. Cars honked, most sat motionless and abandoned, and people ran between them from something further ahead where the road turned to dirt and lay barren. They never made this much fuss over a spawn, which could only mean a mage had been discovered. Ibis wasn’t sure if he hoped it was a Xadian or dark mage, both situations wouldn’t be easy, and Aaravos would only make things harder. If it was a dark mage Aaravos would most likely whisk them away, leaving Ibis in his dust and probably unconscious. If it was a Xadian there would probably still be a fight, and Aaravos would almost definitely win, but there was also the question of who Aaravos would fight. There was still the chance he would whisk the Xadian away, but if it was a magical girl he might try to kill the mage. Then there were the problems provided by the cops present. Whether it was a dark mage or a Xadian, they would try to apprehend them, and the authorities out did Ibis in both strength and number.

_ My best chance is to stall them until Runaan gets here… _

Ibis took a deep breath, thunder making the air shutter as he lunged forward in the air and rose higher. “Runaan, deal with the mage!” He barked through the communicator.

He locked his gaze on Aaravos and swooped down, feet colliding with the man's back as he kicked off of him and sent him tumbling downwards. A high pitched noise escaped Ibis’ throat as he flew as fast as he could, waiting for a bolt of thunder to strike him from the air courtesy of Aaravos. He swooped down from the air a good distance in front of the police cars and kicked off of the ground, shouting a spell with all his might. A wall of ice at least a mile high burst out of the ground, starting from the spot he had kicked and spanning several miles in each direction. Tires screeched as the police cars halted and swerved to avoid each other and the wall. Ibis turned in the air and kicked off of it, ice spurting forth from the ground and claiming the lower portions of the vehicles. Ibis spread his wings and arched, turning once more until his feet found the ground then ran several paces forward.

“ _ Dark Wing… _ ” A deep voice growled, making Ibis’ breath catch in his throat. Lightning shattered through the sky as he watched Aaravos walk towards him, expression grim and dripping with anger. “Do you dare stand in my way?”

Ibis squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest, trying to look intimidating. He opened his mouth, struggled for words, then finally spoke. “Apparently!”

The corners of Aaravos’ mouth twitched as he glared, raising his wings as the dark feathers sank back into his limbs and disappeared.

A small noise emitted from Ibis’ throat as he did the same, tilting his head up as he considered his options. There weren’t many. “Fulminis!”

Lightning surged down from the sky in Aaravos’ direction. Aaravos leaped out of the way gracefully, casting a spell of his own that sent the ground beneath Ibis into the air before both the dirt and the sky mage came crashing down.

“What wasted potential…” Aaravos hissed, circling Ibis as he struggled to his feet. “Do you truly intend to fight me all on your own?”

“Why not?” Ibis grunted, stumbling out of the loose rubble and facing Aaravos in a mock fighting stance. He gave a small, helpless smile. “You won’t kill me.”

Anger flared in Aaravos eyes, and the next thing Ibis knew he was tumbling backwards across the gravel as wind roared past his ears.

“Ibis!”

Ibis sat under a tree in a shadowy patch of woods, bruised and battered.

“By the moon, are you alright?!” Runaan dashed forward, kneeling next to him and glancing him over.

“Did you see the creature?” Ibis asked, watching a ladybug crawl atop a blade of grass.

“I… Yes, I did.”

“It was a bird,” Ibis continued, lips pressing into a line as he finally looked at Runaan. “ _ Made of birds _ .”

Runaan watched him a moment before sighing, taking a seat in the grass. “Yes, yes it was.”

“Dark mage or Xadian?”

“...Xadian.”

Ibis glanced the way Runaan had come. “They…”

“Got caught in the crossfire when the police came.”

Ibis buried his face in his hands, taking a deep breath as he ran them over his head and cupped the back of his neck. “Oh…”

Runaan placed his hand on his shoulder. “You did well, Ibis.”

Ibis nodded, watching the ladybug again.

Runaan sighed, leaning against the tree next to him. “Few people can stand their own against Aaravos.” He said after a moment.

“He wouldn’t have killed me.” Ibis muttered.

“He could have.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

Ibis wanted to protest, to disagree and in turn probably stir up a fight, but he was exhausted. He let his hands fall to his lap as he looked Runaan over instead. “You’re hurt.”

“So are you.”

Ibis pulled his broach off with a scraped and dirtied hand, taking Runaan's hand with his other. He held the broach by its pin and let it sway in his grip, primal stone glowing. A sensation of warm and cold spread itself through his body as he closed his eyes, easing away the pain and sealing his wounds as it did the same for Runaan. Ibis shivered once the spell was complete, he could never get used to the feeling of it. He opened his eyes and took his hand away from Runaan’s, returning the broach to its place on his sweater. “We should go…”

It was sundown and raining rather heavily by the time they arrived to Ethari's house. They didn’t talk much on the way over, Ibis was too busy creating scenarios for tomorrow's briefing in his head. A pit was steadily forming in his stomach. And then there was the report he’d have to send to Zubeia…

Runaan knocked on the door and a few seconds later it swung wide open.

“Runaan! Ibis!” Ethari wrapped his arms around the men and pulled them into an embrace. “I’m glad you’re okay…”

“Thank you for watching Rayla,” Runaan said as the hug ended. “I apologize for having to leave so abruptly.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ethari smiled warmly. “I’m happy to help.”

Runaan glanced between the two before turning to Ibis. “Wait here.” And then he slipped past Ethari and into the house.

Ethari blinked, looking between Ibis and Runaan. “Er, one minute.”

Ibis waited in front of the door, listening to crickets chirp as the rain soaked his shirt and flattened his hair. He would be out of the rain’s reach if he moved a step or two closer to the door, but the wind and drops of water felt nice. Calming. He had an inkling that Runaan would scold him later for dripping water throughout the apartment in pursuit of a towel and dry clothes, but that was a problem for later. True to his word, Ethari opened the door about a minute later.

“Ibis!” He exclaimed, reaching through the rain and pulling him inside. “You’re soaking!”

“It’s just water, I’m fine.” Ibis smiled kindly, stumbling in next to Ethari who closed the door and tossed his scarf over Ibis’ shoulders.

“Ibis, you’ll catch a cold!” Runaan was at his side in an instant, Rayla in his arms who babbled lightly and chewed on her fingers.

“I’ll be fine.” Ibis insisted, gently taking Rayla’s hand out of her mouth.

“I’ll get you a towel and some clothes.” Ethari pressed, making his way out of the room and down the hall.

Ibis wanted to protest but he only nodded instead. “Alright, thank you.”

Runaan looked Ibis over then sighed, leaning on the wall as he lightly bounced Rayla in his arm. “I… apologize for today.”

Ibis smiled kindly. “You don’t have to apologize, Runaan. You came as soon as you could, you can’t be everywhere at once.”

Runaan frowned, watching Rayla for a moment before speaking again. “Is there anything we have to take care of tonight?”

Ibis tilted his head in thought. “Not that I recall, why?”

Runaan only hummed, head turning to watch Ethari enter the room.

“Here you go,” Ethari handed Ibis a towel with a stack of clothes on top. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Tea?” Runaan quirked a brow.

“Yes, tea!”

“You don’t have to-” Ibis began.

“Go, go,” Ethari waved Ibis away in the direction of the bathroom. “Take all the time you need.”

Ibis stumbled away, glancing over his shoulder at the others with raised brows but obeying. He closed the bathroom door behind himself and took his broach off, setting it carefully on the counter before taking off his soaking clothes and laying them across the edge of the tub to dry. He dried himself off with the towel then changed into the clothes Ethari had given him, a blue sweater speckled with clouds and grey sweatpants, both of which were a size or two too large, then placed his broach on the dry shirt before exiting. He straightened the clothing as he walked, gaze flickering from the baggy fabric to the scene in front of him.

“Happy birthday!” Ethari and Runaan exclaimed, a bit out of sync.

They stood behind the coffee table that now had a cake decorated with bits of fruit and several burning pastel candles on it. Several mugs of steeping tea along with two small boxes sat behind it. Rayla giggled from where she sat in Runaan’s arm, shaking a shiny paper party horn before chewing on it.

“I…” Ibis looked between them and the setup on the table, eyes wide as he apparently forgot to speak once again.

“Is… that good silence or bad silence?” Ethari chuckled, an apologetic smile already on his face.

“I apologize.” Runaan blurted.

Ibis stammered. “Wh- No! No, no, don’t apologize! I just…” He turned his gaze to Runaan who blushed lightly and looked away. Ethari nudged him.

“You… work rather hard.” Runaan finally said, shifting Rayla in his arm. “You pull more weight than you should have to, and you do so quite well.” He paused, finally looking at Ibis. “I’m aware of our situation,  _ your _ situation, and… I appreciate all you do.” He looked away again. “I don’t know if you typically celebrate your birthday or not, but-”

Runaan didn’t finish his sentence, Ibis had crossed the room and pulled him into a hug. Runaan hesitantly rested his head on Ibis’ shoulder, arm being preoccupied, and after a long moment they separated.

“Thank you.” Ibis said, smiling softly but radiantly as he looked between the men. “This… this is very kind of you, thank you.”

Runaan gave a small smile in return and Ethari beamed.

“Make a wish so we can dig in,” Ethari urged. “I’ve had to smell this thing all day!”

Ibis let out a warm laugh, looking to the cake before kneeling next to the short table and closing his eyes.

_ A wish… _

He leaned forward and blew out the candles. Ethari cheered, getting Rayla to clumsily applaud along with him while Runaan let out a soft huff of laughter. Ibis chuckled lightly, taking a seat with Runaan on the couch as Ethari cut the cake and placed slices on several plates. They were chatting, partway through their slices, when there was a knock on the door. 

Ethari glanced over, brows furrowed as he placed his plate on the table and stood. “I’ll be right back.”

Runaan nodded, watching Ethari for a moment before turning his attention back to Ibis.

“This wasn’t what I was expecting when you two kept trying to get rid of me…” Ibis dared, a slight smirk tugging at his lips as he glanced to Runaan and popped a strawberry into his mouth.

Runaan gave him a look, but before he could reply their attention was brought to the door as a familiar voice came through it.

“Call off the search party, Johnson,” Aaravos strutted into the house, arms held out as if he were basking in sunlight. He was dripping wet and had a parrot perched on each hand. “I found the birds!”

“W...what?” Ethari murmured.

“Aaravos!” Runaan growled, on his feet in an instant and managing to look fairly aggressive despite having a baby on his hip.

Aaravos’ eyes fluttered open, looking to Runaan then taking in the rest of the room before landing on Ibis. His prideful smile faded, a neutral expression remaining on his face. “Birdy…” He began, lowering his arms and glancing at Ethari as he closed the door. “These are yours, yes?”

“Fucker!” Kyan cried, flapping her wings and flicking Aaravos with specks of water before flying through the room and landing on Ibis’ shoulder.

Dumor squawked, fluttering her wings and swooping after Kyan, turning, then landing on Runaan's head. Rayla giggled in delight, stretching her arms up and making grabby hands at the bird, thumping Runaan with the party horn in the process.

"I take it I was correct, then." Aaravos lowered his hands, holding them in front of himself in a diamond shape.

"You…" Ibis began, glancing between the parrots before looking back to Aaravos.

"You're soaking the carpet," Runaan spoke up, eyes narrowed. "Leave."

Aaravos frowned, tucking a soaked lock of hair behind his ear, but Ethari was moving before anyone else had the chance to speak.

"I'll get you a towel." Ethari offered, heading further into the house without waiting for Aaravos' reply.

Aaravos grinned. "Why thank you!"

"Ethari-" Runaan began in protest.

"What a gentleman!"

Runaan turned back to Aaravos, eyes narrowed, and Aaravos smiled back.

"How did you find them?" Ibis spoke up.

Aaravos blinked, turning his attention back to Ibis. "They were part of that giant bird thing," He shrugged, waving his hands as he talked. "I suspect most of the birds in Elarion were, if not all. That's probably why we didn't see any earlier."

Ethari returned, towel and clothes folded neatly in his hands. Runaan gave him a disapproving look that went ignored as he handed the items to Aaravos.

"How kind," Aaravos hummed. "Thank you."

"Seriously?" Runaan huffed once Aaravos was in the bathroom.

"What? He could catch a cold!" Ethari pressed.

"Good riddance." Runaan sat back down with a huff. Dumor flapped her wings before perching on the back of the couch.

It was Ethari's turn to give a disapproving look to the other man.

Ibis shifted in his seat, plucking a slice of mango from his cake and offering it to the bird on his shoulder. He could feel Runaan watching him.

"I don't want him here." Runaan suddenly said, sharply turning to Ethari with a stern look.

"Runaan," Ibis began softly. "It's fine."

"Did… did something happen?" Ethari glanced between them.

"Tuesday." Ibis shrugged.

Runaan frowned, leaning back on the couch but remaining silent. 

Ethari glanced between them once more before hesitantly taking a seat. "Well… the no-killing-each-other-in-my-house rule is still active, this is neutral territory."

"Yes, yes…"

"Ethari," Aaravos called, standing near the doorway of the bathroom in loose clothes with a towel wrapped around his head. "May I put my clothes in the drier? I don't wish to impose while you have previous arrangements."

"Go ahead," Ethari nodded. "I don't mind."

"Shall I put those other clothes in as well?" He looked back into the bathroom.

"Oh," Ibis blinked, glancing between the men in the room. "I-"

"I'll handle it." Runaan huffed, handing Rayla to Ethari and marching over. He took the wet clothes from Aaravos' arms, went into the bathroom, then came out a moment later with Ibis' clothes in his arm as well before disappearing down the hallway.

"Uhm-" Ethari blinked twice before standing. "He doesn't know where the drier is."

Aaravos watched with a look of amusement as Ethari went after the other man before slowly turning his attention to Ibis. His gaze slid past him, moving across the coffee table and the items scattered about it as he crossed the room and sat on the arm of the couch. "What's all this for?"

"Uhm… Well, it's my birthday, and Runaan…" Ibis scratched Kyan's chin.

Aaravos raised a brow. "Oh? Happy birthday then."

"Thank you…" Ibis shifted, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "And thank you for finding them- the birds I mean."

Aaravos shrugged, untwisting the towel and letting his hair fall around his shoulders along with it. "No need, you don't see many parrots flying around the city so it wasn't terribly hard."

"I believe I saw an ostrich on my way here."

"Good point," Aaravos smirked. "Perhaps 'you don't see many parrots bickering like newlyweds' is a more accurate statement."

"How did you find them?"

"I was watching the police mill about the scene, then Mr. Ruggedly Handsome picked up this feather, blue with bits of black, and I remembered our little talk and thought 'Why the hell not, I'm bored'."

Ibis chuckled lightly. "Well thank you."

"All is fair in love and war. I suspect you're quite familiar with that concept, little canary."

Ibis poked at the cake on his plate with his fork, remaining silent for a long moment. "I think all the birds in the city were there."

"I believe you are correct," Aaravos hummed. "They were drawn there by the magic."

"Controlled."

"...Perhaps the word 'influenced' is best fitting?"

"Perhaps." Ibis paused in thought. "The pet stores must be at their wits end."

"Pet stores?" Aaravos laughed. "Imagine the  _ zoos! _ "

Ibis brought a hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"'Hey Jim,'" Aaravos began, turning as if to talk to someone who wasn't there. "'Why aren't you feeding the peacocks?'" He turned the other way. "'Well, you see, Paul, _they_ _fucking flew away_.'"

Ibis burst into a fit of giggles, hands over his mouth to muffle his laughter.

Ethari and Runaan returned, Runaan thwacking Aaravos atop the head with Rayla's party horn as he passed. "Don't sit on the arm of the couch."

Aaravos frowned, watching as the two took a seat on the other end of the sofa. "Hypocrite."

"Pardon?"

Aaravos arched a brow, looking at Runaan's crisscrossed legs then back to his face.

Runaan pressed his lips into a line, slowly uncrossing his legs and lowering his feet to the floor as Ethari snickered. "I'm still not sitting on the arm of the couch."

Aaravos narrowed his eyes in turn, slowly sliding over the side of the armrest as Ibis scooted aside so he could sit next to him. Ethari chuckled into his fist.

The rest of the evening went relatively smooth. Aaravos was mostly quiet in the time that he was present, receiving glares from Runaan whenever he spoke until Ethari had begun pinching him for each dirty look he gave. They chatted and once the rain died down a little Aaravos called a cab and went on his way. Ibis and Runaan stayed a while longer, and when the storm looked like it wouldn't let up any more Ethari drove them home. Once inside the apartment, Kyan and Dumor eagerly flew into the room and claimed their favorite spot atop a rickety scratching post.

“How did they get out?” Runaan asked, raising a brow at the birds as he sat down near the door and set Rayla in his lap.

“Ah, uhm, I opened the window and they just flew out,” Ibis kneeled in front of him and carefully pulled Ralya’s shoes off as she babbled and chewed on the party horn she had refused to relinquish. “Aaravos and I believe whatever magic that Xadian had influenced the birds in the city.”

“Believe?” Runaan raised a brow as Ibis set the shoes aside. “As in it’s debatable? I thought you saw the giant bird-of-birds too? I’d say that kid had quite the influence on them.”

“...Kid?”

Runaan paused, opening his mouth and then closing it before looking away.

Ibis closed his eyes, throat suddenly dry as he ran a hand through his hair before standing. He swallowed, urging his vocal cords into motion. “Gren said he ran into you this weekend.” He helped Runaan to his feet.

“Oh yeah,” Runaan adjusted Rayla in his arm. “I was at the grocery store and Aaravos showed up, he wouldn’t shut up but Gren noticed me and helped me escape. He’s chatty.”

Ibis chuckled, crossing the room to sit on the couch. “You left a good impression on him as well.”

Runaan raised a brow but Ibis turned his head and pretended not to notice. Runaan sat on the other end of the couch with a sigh, setting Rayla on his lap before trying to trade the party horn for a small plush cat that went completely ignored. He tried and failed once more, Rayla whining quietly and pushing the plush away. Runaan sighed in resignation and tilted his head back. “Fine, you win.”

Ibis chuckled softly, watching the child play with the cardboard toy.

“Were you fine with Aaravos being there today?” Runaan asked after a moment. “At Ethari’s place, I mean.”

Ibis nodded, pulling his knees onto the couch. “Ethari’s house is neutral territory, I wasn’t worried.”

Runaan frowned slightly.

“What?”

“You genuinely think he’ll continue to respect that rule? After everything he’s done?”

“Well, he likes Ethari.” Ibis began, head tilted against the back of the couch. “Ethari isn’t Xadian, he’s interested in magic, and he’s quite open about his thoughts and opinions.”

“Am I tired or are you seriously comparing Ethari to  _ him _ ?”

“No, no,” Ibis shook his head before pausing. “What I’m trying to say is that Aaravos might see a bit of him in Ethari. I don’t know enough about him to compare them to each other, but Aaravos does, and I’m sure Aaravos misses him.”

Runaan scrunched up his nose in disgust. “Are you implying Aaravos is trying to substitute him with Ethari?”

Ibis stammered for a moment. “Well- I mean- I don’t know…”

Runaan groaned and tilted his head back until it rested against the couch. “By the moon, as if I needed another reason to kill that star-spangled bastard.”

They were quiet for a long moment. Ibis watched Runaan as the man frowned at the ceiling, a pit slowly forming in his stomach. He shifted on the couch, bringing his knees to his chest as he looked away and put his hand in his pocket to feel the smooth pendant of the necklace Runaan had gifted him.

“Ibis?” Runaan spoke up, tugging Ibis from his thoughts. “Everything alright?”

Ibis bit the inside of his cheek.

_ “All is fair in love in war.” _

“Ibis?”

_ This doesn’t feel fair… _

A hand gently gripped his shoulder and Ibis finally looked up.

“Are you still hurt from the battle?” Runaan's tone matched his expression, stern and serious and concerned. “Should I get you a healing potion?” Ibis’ gaze slowly slid over to the cabinet he hid the potions in, then trailed to look at the parrots resting on the scratching post. “Ibis?”

Ibis rested his head against Runaan’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “They had a cake for me at the station today.”

“O...kay?”

Ibis' hand found Rayla’s, her small fingers wrapping around one of his as she babbled and kicked her feet.

“Ibis, are you feeling alright?”

“...I’m just tired.” He paused. “Thank you for today.” How many more today’s would they have? “It was very kind of you, I appreciate it.”

Runaan didn’t reply, most likely unsure of what to say. He slowly wrapped an arm around Ibis’ shoulder and pulled him closer. “Of course.”

Ibis wrapped his arm around Runaan’s middle and snugged himself into his side. They stayed like that for a while until Rayla began to fall asleep. Runaan got up to change her into pajamas and tuck her into her crib. Ibis sat on the couch, watching two of the ferrets play together before finding a comfortable spot to cuddle and fall asleep. Ibis frowned softly, looking out the window, at all the stars. He pinched the bridge of his nose and forced himself to stand. It was late. Rayla and the ferrets had the right idea.

“Goodbye, gross party favor.” Runaan declared in a semi-hushed voice as he emerged back into the main room of the apartment with the chewed up party horn in his hand.

“...She’s not going to like waking up to find that thing not there.” Ibis pointed out.

“I think she’ll manage.” Runaan tossed the toy into the trash.

“Your loss of sleep.” Ibis shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets and pausing when he felt the wooden beads of the necklace brush against his fingers.

“That's why there’s coffee.”

Ibis raised a brow as he watched Runaan turn on the faucet and begin cleaning a few of the dishes in the sink. Ibis shifted the weight between his feet before crossing the room and pulling a dishtowel off the stove’s handlebars. Together they cleaned the dishes that looked to have fallen victim to Runaan’s earlier baking attempt. They didn’t talk throughout the chore and it didn’t take long to finish, but when Ibis turned to walk away and get ready for bed Runaan wrapped his arm around him and pulled him close. Ibis froze, eyes widening and brows moving up on his forehead as he struggled to figure out the proper response or what exactly was happening. Was this supposed to be some sort of spontaneous self-defense lesson?

“Happy birthday…” Runaan whispered into the top of his shoulder.

Ibis slowly relaxed, moving to hold Runaan’s arm lightly and resting his head against his. “Thank you… I look forward to celebrating yours as well.”

Runaan merely hummed in reply, holding the embrace for a moment longer before pulling back and releasing Ibis. “Let’s get some sleep before Rayla discovers the party horn is missing.”


	3. Then And Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After graduating, Ethari moved to Elarion and started the next chapter of his life there. It was simple, nothing out of the ordinary, and then Runaan showed up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a bit of background!

It wasn't like they had talked very often back in college. Runaan tended to be quiet and didn't speak much in general, but Ethari still considered him a friend. He'd been excited when they got paired up for some project Ethari could no longer remember the details of, and he and Runaan had agreed to meet up at a pizza cafe later in the day to get a head start on their work. But Runaan didn't show, and he didn't show up to school the next day too. His friends, Lain and Tiadrin, didn't either. Ethari wondered if they had gotten sick or perhaps went to some party and were now too hungover for class but something in his gut told him that wasn't true. Runaan was a diligent student, he'd never ditch or do something irresponsible that would cause him to miss class, and Lain and Tiadrin fell in the same boat. They were more talkative and outgoing than their soft-spoken friend, but they still took their work fairly seriously. Ethari was left wondering why Runaan wasn't replying to his texts until Monday morning. He had been getting ready for class and had turned the TV on for some background noise. He hadn't paid attention to the channel he'd turned on, only realizing it was the news when he went to turn it off. He froze, eyes glued to the screen. A picture of Runaan, Lain, and Tiadrin was displayed in the top right corner, the word "MISSING" underneath the image as a news reporter droned on, listing their ages, heights, and weights. Ethari didn't go to school that day, but the world turned on. Runaan and his friends remained missing, Ethari got his degree. He moved out of Silvergrove, to Elarion, and got a job and a house, and the world kept spinning. Missing people were hardly ever found.

Ethari went on with his life and was going through another mediocre day when it happened. He was walking home, texting some joke to his coworker when a monstrous cry rang through the air and shook the ground. Ethari stumbled to a halt, eyes going wide. The sound of spawns, beasts brought forth as a side effect of dark magic use, was something Ethari had gotten used to by now. It wasn't pleasant, but Elarion had a bit of a pest problem. Roads or entire sections of the city would be shut off due to some spawn related incident quite often, but Ethari made an effort to stay in the more peaceful parts of the city whenever possible. The area he lived in rarely had incidents, but apparently that wasn't the case today. Ethari stared in horror, eyes wandering up the form of a giant serpent from several streets away. Ethari's breath hitched in his throat as he took a step back. The creature was silhouetted in the rays of the setting sun, eyes glowing a fierce green and fangs glinting in the dwindling light. A figure launched themself into the air, threads of turquoise light forming behind them as the serpent lunged to consume them but was shot in the mouth by a giant glowing arrow as the figure fell back behind the line of buildings.

"Oh my god…" Ethari breathed, stepping back once more and finding himself against the window of some store. He looked around, urging the panic greeting his system to head back out the door. The street was empty. Of course it was empty, any sane person would be running right now. There was a spawn _and_ a magical girl only a few streets away, only a fool would stay so close to such a scene.

Apparently Ethari was a fool.

He gaped in awe and horror as streams of light and a single figure danced through the air and launched attacks upon the creature. The serpent cried, knocking the figure from the air and back out of sight. Several ribbons of blue and green swirled in the air above the snakes head, forming a large bow and arrow before launching the weapon straight through the creature's head. The air trembled and then the creature burst into shimmering specks of green and black. Ethari sucked in a breath and forced himself into motion, running as fast as he could down the street. Only a fool would stay to watch such a scene, none the less the aftermath. He'd only been running for a handful of seconds when the ground shook once more before the sidewalk ahead of him burst open. He stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and falling as he stared at a smaller, yet still unpleasantly massive, version of the snake that had just been slain. Ethari's fist flew to his mouth to muffle a scream as he inched backward on the ground and watched the serpent rise out from the hole in the concrete and sliver toward him. Its tongue flicked out, an almost animatronic sounding hiss pouring from its throat as it rose its head and readied to strike. The snake lunged forward and Ethari had just enough time to cover his face with his arms and let out a cry before there was a bright blue light and the sound of metal impaling rock. 

Ethari tensed, heart pounding frantically. There was the sound of something crystalline hitting the ground. He swallowed, forcing his arms down so he could see around them. 

Before him stood a tall, lean figure clad in rather whimsical looking light armor. The figure stood with their back to Ethari, their one hand wrapped around the handle of an ornate sword that was sunk halfway into the concrete. The figure straightened, their long white ponytail blowing in the breeze as the sword glowed and disappeared with a shimmer of gently glittering light. The figure raised their foot and brought it down again, grinding a sickly looking emerald-like gem into dust beneath their heel. Sparks of glimmering black and green spat out from beneath the figure's foot before flickering and fading into nothing.

Ethari's mind raced to no avail as he watched. Only a fool would stay in the vicinity of a magical girl.

The figure turned around. "Are you alright?" Light glinted across their face, obscuring Ethari's view of any notable features and slowly ebbing a painful ache behind his eyes and in his brain. The figure tensed.

"I…" Ethari managed after stammering a moment. Only a fool would talk to a magical girl. "Yes, thank you..." He shifted in his place on the ground.

The vigilante stood stiff, and though Ethari could hardly make out the vague outline of their head he could see their curt nod. "Good." They said, hand closing in a fist then opening before closing once more. "You should leave. Bye." The magical girl turned and leaped into the air, a translucent flower blooming beneath their feet with each bound then disappearing as quickly as they came, taking the mage higher before they disappeared behind the line of buildings and left Ethari alone on the sidewalk.

Ethari sucked in a breath. Only a complete fool would wait for the cops to show up.

He surprisingly made it back home without any conflict, though that didn't give him much peace of mind. He couldn't sleep. He paced his house with the doors and windows locked, the blinds shut and the lights out, trying to forget the incident while replaying it in his mind. He mentally prepared himself for a team of masked people with weapons to break down his door and take him away to area fifty-one or something where they would lock him up and ask him questions he couldn't answer. He couldn't remember the magical girl's voice, he knew the words they had spoken to him but he couldn't remember how they had said them, how they had sounded. He couldn't remember their face or their physique and the more he tried to remember the worse the ache in his head got. All he could recall was turquoise clothing and long white hair.

The night passed without a disturbance. Ethari all but forced himself out of the house, he couldn't act out of the ordinary after last night so he got ready for the day and went to a cafe for something to jump his mind into motion. He'd had plenty of all-nighters in the past but the possibility of doom was draining in an entirely different way and he couldn't quite shake off the feeling. He stood in line, waiting to place his order and feeling like a zombie. It seemed to be a busy morning in the small coffee shop, people sat at every table and chatted, others stood and waited for their name to be called. Ethari's gaze traveled about the room as he listened to various names be called by the baristas.

"Ron!"

Would there be cops waiting for him when he showed up to work?

"Maliv!"

Should he just go to the police station and confess?

"Abril!"

Confess? Confess to what? To Elarion being a hazardous city that he should have never moved to?

"Runaan!"

A wisp of white hair moved through the edge of Ethari's vision. He blinked, turning his head to see a man in jeans and a tight sleeveless shirt standing at the counter to claim his drink. He had white hair that was braided down his back, stopping at his waist, and as he turned to go back to his table Ethari's vision was filled with the sight of bright teal eyes. Bright teal eyes that moved past him before snapping back and meeting his gaze. The teal eyed man tripped over his own feet as he moved, falling to the ground and spilling his drink.

"Runaan!" 

Ethari flinched. He hadn't noticed his mouth moving, but then he realized someone else had called out. A man with dark skin and short, fluffy white hair that was shaved on the sides dashed over and helped Runaan to his feet as a barista began to clean up the drink. Ethari stumbled forward, mouth open but no words leaving his lips. 

_Runaan?_

Runaan and the man exchanged brief sentences before approaching a stroller and taking it then heading out the door. Ethari half convinced himself it wasn't him, that he had just startled some stranger by staring like a creep, but then Runaan looked over his shoulder as he left and their eyes met once more for the briefest of moments. Ethari stood, dumbstruck.

He didn't see Runaan again for two days after that, not until he had gone to the library. His encounter on the street from earlier that week was still swimming around his mind like a sea snake, lashing out to strike his brain with more pain when he got too close, too curious. He wanted to do research to see what he could find but he didn't want to risk having such searches on his internet history, so he went to the library with a vague sense of hope and a gun held to his head by curiosity. He was walking toward the back of the library when he saw Runaan standing on a small stool near a stroller in the textbook aisle, running his finger along the spine of some book.

"Runaan..?" Ethari's voice came out rather quiet, which may have been a good thing since they were in a library after all. It was almost a struggle to get the name off his tongue and past his lips. Runaan somehow heard nonetheless, piercing gaze meeting Ethari's and filling him with a vague sense of nostalgia. "It is you!" Ethari breathed, finally approaching.

Runaan watched him a moment before slowly descending the step stool, head tilted down as he looked at anything but Ethari.

Runaan looked different than he remembered, which was reasonable, Ethari didn't look the same as he did back in college either, but the most notable difference was Runaan's left arm- or lack thereof. It stopped above where his elbow would be, marked with scars. His hair was longer and he had side tails, but he was most definitely Runaan. Runaan was still averting his gaze, looking at the stroller instead with one hand on its handle.

"Oh-" Ethari exclaimed softly, taking a step back. Runaan's eyes were suddenly locked on him again. "I… I'm sorry, you must not remember me…" Ethari gave an apologetic smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

Something in Runaan's fierce eyes wavered. "No, I…" Ethari watched him search to find his next words. He didn't mind the wait, he was too busy feeling almost transfixed upon hearing the other's voice once more. "Hello, Ethari…"

Ethari took a breath, struggling for a response momentarily. He sighed and smiled. "It… it's good to see you again. I thought that was you at the cafe the other day but I wasn't sure…" He paused, watching Runaan simply nod in reply and look away. "Is… that your daughter?" Ethari leaned to the side to try and glimpse into the stroller.

"N… no, well-" Runaan glanced between him and the stroller. "Goddaughter."

"Goddaughter?"

"Yes, she's Lain and Tiadrin's child."

So Lain and Tiadrin were alright as well… Ethari smiled warmly, a weight leaving his body. "That's… amazing, I'm so happy for them."

Runaan glanced at him again before nodding in response, looking back at the child in the stroller.

"Uhm…" Ethari fumbled to keep the conversation going. "Was that your boyfriend with you at the cafe?"

Runaan was suddenly looking at him once more, face scrunched up. "Ibis? By the moon, no. He's… a colleague. We're roommates."

"Oh, that's nice! Do you two babysit for Lain and Tiadrin often?"

"They're… off on a business trip of sorts. I'm looking after Rayla for them."

"Ooh, a business trip? What do they do?"

"...Bodyguards."

Ethari blinked. "Woah. Intense."

"You don't know the half of it…" Runaan muttered.

Ethari couldn't help but chuckle. "It's nice seeing you again, it's good to know you're alright."

Runaan's eyes searched his face for a moment before flickering to the ground, hand tightening around the strollers handle. "I have to go."

Their meetings often went like this, short and brief and somewhat awkward, but for as big of a city as Elarion was they couldn't seem to not bump into each other at least once a week. Ethari started the habit of going to the coffee shop he had first seen Runaan in. Most days he would see Runaan at the cafe and they'd chat while waiting for their drinks before heading their separate ways, Ethari would head to work, listening to the TV drone on about the city's newest magical girl or some "amazing new product!", and then he'd go home. Eventually they started the habit of finding a table to sit and chat at while they finished their drinks on days where they didn't have to run off for classes or work. It was one of those more slow-paced days where Ethari learned the name of the stranger who had saved him from the serpent.

They were sitting at a table, chatting while a TV mounted nearby on the wall droned on. Ethari normally ignored the televisions, but today the screen displayed a familiar image. A magical girl in formal looking light armor of various shades of blue and green danced across the screen in mid-battle, ornate weapons appearing in the air as their long white hair whisked around with each attack and glinting sunlight obstructed their features. Ethari read the scrolling text that ran across the bottom of the screen. _Lotus Blossom…_

Runaan cleared his throat.

"Ah- Uhm, sorry." Ethari chuckled nervously, tearing his eyes from the screen and looking back at Runaan who hummed in response, a frown tugging at his lips. "It's just… two magical girls in one city, as if the Midnight Star wasn't enough already." He let out more anxious laughter as Runaan simply watched him.

"Mmhm…" Runaan hummed again, eyes drifting up to the TV.

Runaan tended to stay away from the topic of magical girls, as most people did, but Ethari's mind still buzzed with the encounter he'd had. Magical girls were supposed to be violent, malicious, but Lotus Blossom saved him, asked if he was okay, then left. They hadn't hurt him, and the more Ethari thought about it the more he realized he had never heard of a magical girl harming someone. But of course he'd never say that. Only a fool would think such a thing aloud.

To Ethari's delight, he and Runaan kept running into each other and even began meeting up on purpose to grab a meal or go for a walk. Sometimes he'd run into Ibis as well. Ethari had trouble figuring out the relationship he had with the two men, not to mention the relationship between those two men. They often bounced back forth from being kind and almost friendly to being closed off and nearly cold, as if they had suddenly remembered they weren't supposed to like Ethari. But they kept spending time with him anyway, despite keeping Ethari at a distance. It felt odd, but Ethari was mostly glad to know Runaan was okay after all those years and to have a new friend in this strange city. Ethari did want to know why they treated him oddly, occasionally he would nearly lash out at them for behaving so abstractly, but he reminded himself that it takes at least two hundred hours to become close friends with someone so he shouldn't expect too much. People were allowed to have their privacy after all, and they were allowed to have their secrets. And they should get to share those secrets with people they trust, though sometimes fate seemed to decide otherwise. Fate seemed to decide otherwise with Runaan's secret.

Ethari discovered his secret on a cold, cloudy night. He was walking home after meeting up with Runaan for dinner. It was chilly but it was still nice out, and he was also in a good mood so he decided to take the long way home. And then he got lost. The city looked different at night, the shadows heavier and menacing, and tonight there was no moonlight to cast them away. Ethari's good mood was slowly replaced with a feeling of unease. The streets were empty, he'd been walking for hours and had no idea what time it was. His phone was dead and a steady anxiousness was making itself more prominent in his chest, but eventually he found a familiar location. He sighed in relief, quickening his pace with eagerness, and then he realized he wasn't alone. Heavy, scampering footsteps fell from behind him. Heavy footsteps and heavy breathing. Ethari took a deep breath and walked faster. The steps turned into a jog. Ethari forced himself to look behind and nearly screamed.

A thick, black tree with insect-like arms and legs was bounding down the sidewalk in his direction. It had orange leaves that glinted like metal in the light of the street lamps and a single blue, veiny eye that sat in a knot under its branches. Yellow vines wrapped around its limbs and a splintering, vertical hole opened below its eye, revealing a set of fangs within its mouth as it let out a guttural call.

Ethari ran for all he was worth, half a scream escaping his throat before turning into a choked cry as something wrapped around his ankle and knocked him to the sidewalk. A strangled sound of desperation left him as he writhed and pulled at the thorny vine around his leg. A flash of teal light shot through the air, an arrow lodging itself in the spawn's trunk. The creature hissed, stumbling sideways and turning to face a nearby alleyway. It growled, arms flexing at its sides as vines flared around it before it charged into the alley and dragged Ethari along by his leg. Bursts of blue and green light banished the darkness in its presence, illuminating the battle before Ethari's disbelieving eyes. A figure danced and spun, swords and arrows clashing against the spawn's body and releasing bursts of glittering dust.

"Lotus Blossom!" Ethari gasped.

The magical girl's head snapped toward him, and in that moment of diverted attention, the creature grabbed their head and smashed it against the wall. A frightened cry escaped Ethari's lips as he watched Lotus Blossom fall to their knees and onto the ground. The creature snarled, watching as the mage struggled to right themself with shaking limbs. With a growl, the creature grabbed their head again and introduced it to the ground. Spouts of teal light sparked across the magical girl's body. The spawn brought its arms up, liquid red staining its hands as it interlaced its fingers and prepared for a gruesome final blow.

"No!" Ethari cried, twisting and kicking desperately.

The spawn turned, dark blue eye focusing on Ethari as its splintered lips parted and shuddered with a deep, scratching noise. The vines around Ethari's leg tightened and began to pull him closer as the creature placed its hands on the ground and slowly crawled forward. Ethari struggled, cried for help, but the thing was looming over him in no time, mouth open and dripping a vibrant green liquid that burned Ethari's clothing and singed his skin. Ethari let out a helpless sob, writhing hopelessly under the spawns grasp, and then the alley was filled with bright cyan light. There was the call of a bird and then the creature was letting out its final cry before bursting into chunks of stone. A jagged red gem fell upon Ethari's chest and he let out a desperate, frightened sound as he took it and smashed it into the ground with all his might. The shards scratched at his hand, probably cut it, but he didn't care, he was too busy watching blue goop spurt out from under his fist as relief washed over him. The goop shimmered then disappeared. The spawn was gone.

A pained grunt pulled him from his relief, and Ethari turned in time to see Lotus Blossom fall to the ground.

_A wise man would run…_

He inched back, mind racing as he gazed upon the unconscious magical girl before him. The cops would come. They would take Lotus Blossom and the vigilante would only be a whispered memory. Only a fool would stick around. Lotus Blossom's body seemed to glow, soft teal light surging before going away all at once. Erhari blinked through the darkness, eyes readjusting as he sought out the sight of the mage, wondering if they had teleported or something, but what he saw wasn't Lotus Blossom or an empty alley. He saw Runaan.

Ethari's mouth went dry. He stared, dumbstruck and lost. Runaan lay limp in the exact spot Lotus Blossom had been in, in the same position and everything. There was blood on his face, and small turquoise gem shards scattered on his cheek and the ground that glinted in the darkness. A wave of cold, like ocean water drowning him, consumed his senses. He felt like he had been acupunctured with icicles from the inside out. He let out a shuddering breath as the ice splintered and claimed his body before melting away, leaving his eyes watery and a tired clarity in his mind. He could see it now, remember it clearly, how Runaan saved him from the serpent that day. Runaan was Lotus Blossom. He was a magical girl. The police would hunt him down, come here and capture him in this injured and unconscious state and do who knows what to him. Only a fool would stick around to find out what.

Ethari pulled Runaan into his arms and ran.


	4. Boys Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaravos takes Ethari to a dark magic party.  
> It actually goes better than expected.

Ethari knew having movie nights with a rogue magical girl wasn't the best idea, but in the beginning the proposition had seemed harmless. And it _was_ harmless. It was just two people hanging out and there's nothing inherently dangerous about hanging out and showing someone a movie. Aaravos respected the neutral territory rule and was fairly behaved each week and both he and Ethari enjoyed the mundaneness of it. No conflict, no risking lives, just the couch, whichever movie or show Ethari chose for the night and whatever snacks Aaravos brought along. Sometimes there'd be facials or wine or nail polish or baking, but they scarcely took movie night out of the house. Runaan had been less than pleased when he learned about it, which Ethari understood, but he felt the ten-minute lecture was a bit unnecessary. Still, he didn't want Runaan upset. He offered to let him join their movie nights but based on the other's reaction that wasn't the proper solution. Ethari had refused to stop hanging out with Aaravos though.

"I hang out with you and Ibis all the time!" Ethari tried to reason, but that only seemed to upset Runaan further.

In the end Ethari won. Movie night remained intact and he promised to call Runaan before Aaravos arrived and after the Startouch had left, as well as if anything happened or if Ethari found himself concerned or uncomfortable. Runaan was still fairly unhappy about the idea but he eventually let it go. 

Now, Ethari was staring at himself in the mirror and questioning it all.

"Some fellows I know are throwing a party," Aaravos had said. "It's no fun going to these things alone and they scheduled it for the same day as movie night! Say you'll come, won't you?"

Ethari ended up agreeing. When was the last time he'd gone to a party anyway?

Aaravos arrived at his house about an hour ago, claiming it'd be best to get ready there then head to the party together. It was when Aaravos handed him a hanger bearing clothes concealed in a dry cleaning bag that it finally clicked in Ethari's head that this probably wasn't an average party. After dressing in what Aaravos had given him, his suspicions were more than confirmed. The outfit consisted of a purple shirt with a plunging neckline, grey trousers, black shoes, a long, dark grey coat with a purple handkerchief, and a purple homburg hat with green accents to match the subtle swirling patterns on the coat. Ethari narrowed his eyes at his reflection. He felt like he was cosplaying. What kind of party was this? With a soft huff he opened the door and marched into the living room, coat flourishing in his wake.

"Aaravos," He called once he reached the hall bathroom door. "What the hell?"

The door opened, revealing Aaravos clad in a sweeping, deep purple gown scattered with silvery constellations, hair pulled back in a somehow messy yet elegant braid that wrapped into a bun and a mascara wand in his hand. 

He looked Ethari over and grinned. "I knew that'd suit you." He turned back to the mirror and resumed applying mascara to his lashes, either having not sensed Ethari's plight or simply ignoring it completely.

"Aaravos…" Ethari tried again, allowing a hint of annoyance to edge its way into his voice. "What kind of party is this? What's with these outfits?"

"Do you not like it?" Aaravos lowered the mascara wand and turned to look Ethari over again, satisfied smile turning into a small frown.

Ethari sighed, crossing his arms. "No, I… The outfit's not the problem."

"Do you need help with makeup?" Aaravos' eyes flickered across his face.

"No, I-"

"Your hair? That's why I brought the hat, though if you'd like we can-"

"Aaravos!"

The ex-magical girl slowly closed his mouth.

"Where are we going?"

"To a party, dear."

"And what kind of party is this?"

The grin returned to Aaravos' lips. He turned back to the mirror and inspected his reflection for a moment before applying a few more strokes of mascara to one eye. "Don't worry, you're going to love it." He paused, sealing the mascara with a look of thought before turning back to Ethari sharply and fixing him with a stern look. "But don't tell anyone your real name. Or occupation."

Ethari pinched the space between his eyes and took a deep breath. "Jesus Christ, Aaravos…"

"Don't worry," Aaravos insisted with a wave of the hand as he went back to applying makeup, tone easygoing again. "It's quite the gathering, I do believe you'll enjoy it."

" _Where_ are we going?"

Aaravos hummed, swirling a brush in highlighter before dusting the hue onto his cheekbones. "I can't tell you the exact location, but don't worry, we're staying local."

Ethari narrowed his eyes. "Why not tell me?"

"You're my plus one, dear, you're not exactly in the club."

"Club? What club?"

Aaravos paused his highlighter application to give Ethari a mischievous look in the mirror. "We won't be leaving Elarion," He continued, resuming as if he hadn't changed focus at all. "You have no need to fret."

Ethari pressed his lips into a line, watching Aaravos add more finishing touches to his makeup before speaking up again. "If you don't tell me where we're going how are we supposed to get there? Are we going to walk?"

"I rented a car."

"...You have a license?"

"Are you almost ready? I'll only need a few more minutes myself."

Ethari narrowed his eyes once more. "I…" He watched Aaravos for a long moment, mouth in a line, then finally broke the silence and turned around to head back into the living room. "I'm calling Runaan."

A short series of clanks sounded from the bathroom before Aaravos emerged and quickly passed him, swiping his phone off the coffee table. "Now hold on a minute, you don't think I'd take you along if I thought you'd be harmed in any way, do you?"

Ethari paused, studying Aaravos for a moment. "I mean, if I'm being honest…"

Aaravos huffed, claiming his turn to fix Ethari with narrowed eyes. "Well, I _wouldn't_."

"You took me into the sewers to fight a dragon!"

Aaravos frowned. "Firstly, that was not a _dragon_. Secondly, I kept you perfectly safe, did I not?"

Ethari set his jaw, keeping his gaze locked on Aaravos face for any signs of deception.

"Look," Aaravos sighed, moving his hands as he spoke. "I wouldn't take you somewhere I wouldn't be able to protect you, Ethari, especially not when I'm at the top of your boyfriend's hit list. I plan to ensure we take every precaution, so as long as you don't go and- I don't know- get shitfaced, everything will be fine." He moved to hand Ethari his cellphone but paused and seemed to think better of it, pulling his hand back an inch. "Though maybe don't bring your phone."

"Jesus Christ…" Ethari sighed, snatching his phone from Aaravos' hand and frowning at it for a moment before looking back to the mage. "Can't you at least tell me what kind of party this is?"

Aaravos watched Ethari for a moment then pointedly looked between him, the cellphone, and the bedroom.

With a heavy sigh, Ethari made his way to the bedroom. "If you try to tell me the moon landing was fake I'm calling it a night." He opened his closet and deposited his phone in a dresser drawer before making his way back to the living room.

"Oh, it was," Aaravos hummed. "But we don't have time to unpack all that." He shot Ethari a grin. "We're going to a magic party- That is if you still wish to come?"

Ethari frowned, raising a brow. "A _magic_ party? What kind of magic?"

"Dark magic, of course."

"Dark ma-?!" Ethari squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands together. "Aaravos…"

"It's this swarray that's only held on leap years, it's more of a safety thing than it is a 'let's get together and commit crimes of mass hubris' thing."

"A… dark magic… safety party?"

A glint of amusement shined in Aaravos' eyes. "Yes, a dark magic safety party." He placed his hands on Ethari's shoulders and guided him into the bathroom, taking his hat off and reaching around him for the brush he'd brought. "You see, on February 29th there's a sort of… anomaly." He began, running the brush through Ethari's messy hair. "On this day any magic within Elarion is enhanced, including that of humans. Dark mages can do minor spells with ordinary ingredients or extraordinary ones with magical ingredients, and magical girl's get a sort of power boost too. Because of all this, tonight is exceptionally dangerous for mages, Xadian and human alike. See, it didn't take long for those higher up in the world to catch on. Those of us with a decent amount of common sense find it better to hold out in a secret secluded location rather than run about casting spells that will surely get us caught by the patrols in the city."

Ethari furrowed his brows as he watched Aaravos move to his side in the mirror and begin braiding a section of his hair. "So… On the day of leap years, Elarion gives out a 24-hour power up to all the mages here?"

Aaravos hummed with a nod, braiding the segment of hair towards the back of Ethari's head. "Xadian's everywhere get a 'power-up' on this day, but only in Elarion do dark mages get one too." He snapped a hair tie in place at the back of Ethari's head, having pulled the rest of his hair back to form a short ponytail, then pivoted to stand in front of the man and grin down at him. "Fascinating, isn't it?"

"Erm, yeah…" Ethari blinked a few times, gears turning in his head. "But… Where in the city _isn't_ patrolled? Especially tonight." 

Aaravos smiled, something almost fond and nostalgic shining in his eyes for a moment as his gaze drifted away from Ethari and went unfocused as if he were looking somewhere far away. This only lasted a second though, that sharp-witted look he always seemed to carry quickly reclaiming his face with a smile. "Someplace truly special."

A frown tugged at Ethari's lips. The 29th of February was a chaotic night anywhere when he thought about it. Scuffles with magical girls and spawns tended to yield more destruction on this night, and now that he was thinking about it he _had_ noticed an awful lot more police and patrol devices about the city today. "Alright, fine. But why bring me along? I'm not a dark mage, or Xadian."

Aaravos let out a melodic laugh, picking up his palette of eyeshadow and glancing at Ethari for a moment with a look of amusement. "You think Xadian's would attend such a thing?"

"Would they… not?" Ethari slowly asked, leaning away as Aaravos raised an eyeshadow brush to his face.

Aaravos tsked softly under his breath, gently grabbing Ethari by the chin and turning his face. "No, they wouldn't." He answered, soft amusement back in his tone and expression as Ethari begrudgingly allowed him to apply the colored powder to his eyelids. "Xadian's tend to use this night for work purposes, not to mention they'd _never_ willingly mingle with dark mages. Plus they're not typically fond of humans." He paused his work and Ethari cracked open an eye to see Aaravos smirking down at him. "You found yourself a real gem," The brush was back on Ethari's eyelid. "Pity he's so emotionally constipated though."

Ethari frowned. "Why do you…" He sighed, shaking his head as much as he could in Aaravos' tightening grasp.

"Don't squirm."

Another sigh. "Why are you taking me along?"

Aaravos released him, picking up the pallet again and selecting a second hue. "I thought you'd like it." He replied simply, hand reclaiming Ethari's face as he went to apply the new color.

"I…" Ethari sighed, unease claiming his features. He grabbed Aaravos' wrists and moved them away. "I don't know."

Aaravos hummed, allowing Ethari to push his hands away with ease. He tilted his head, brow raised softly, and waited for Ethari to elaborate.

"Well, just… Isn't dark magic bad?" Ethari managed after a moment, cringing slightly at his words and the subtle change of expression that momentarily took control of Aaravos' features. "I mean, it's just that…" He sighed, moving his hand to run it through his hair.

Aaravos caught his wrist gently then held his hand in both his own. "It's not dangerous, if that's part of your concerns- At least not terribly dangerous, nothing in this city is completely safe but you know that. No one will know your identity unless you allow them too, and there will be no spell casting that will cause attention to be drawn to us. I know it sounds strange, but this place is actually much safer than going about the streets tonight, and you would be coming with me so no one in their right mind would even think of bothering you." The corner of his mouth twitched into a brief smirk. "Just consider this a field trip, I know you're curious."

Ethari pulled his hand away and took a step back. "Curious about dark magic?"

Aaravos grinned in that particularly _Aaravos_ way of his and raised a brow. "Aren't you?"

"My friends fight dark magic, _you_ fight dark magic."

The grin was replaced with a frown by the end of Ethari's sentence. " _I_ am not part of Xadia's little goody two shoe organization," Aaravos said, taking a step forward and looming over Ethari with narrowed eyes. "Don't lump me in with their antics."

Ethari set his jaw, resisting the urge to put more space between himself and the ex-magical girl.

They stood there for a moment, neither moving or giving up their side of the argument.

"I fight for the humans," Aaravos finally broke the stillness, apparently deciding it had stretched on for long enough. He stepped away and turned back to the mirror. "Not the Xadian agenda."

Ethari watched him adjust his hair and clothing for a long moment before finally moving, sighing and leaning against the doorway. A second silence claimed the house, this one stretching for longer even after Aaravos had finished his final touches.

"You guys are all weird…" Ethari finally muttered, arms folded.

A small smirk tugged at Aaravos' lips as he looked at Ethari in the mirror. "That, my dear, is what is called an _understatement_."

Ethari allowed a tired chuckle to make it's way past his lips.

"So," Aaravos began after chuckling himself. "If you wish to come, _I_ _am_ your ride…" He turned to Ethari fully and raised an inquisitive brow.

Ethari sighed and looked away. "I… I don't know. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't... _curious_ , but if Runaan knew…"

"What Runaan doesn't know can't hurt him."

"Bullshit." Ethari turned his head sharply and fixed Aaravos with a stern glare.

Aaravos raised his brows, a hint of curiosity in his face as he watched Ethari for a moment like he was taking notes. "All I'm trying to say is I know I tease," Aaravos began again. "But Runaan isn't _really_ your boyfriend or anything, he shouldn't be the one to decide what you can and can't do. Even if he were your boyfriend it's your say, not his. We've had this conversation before."

Ethari frowned at the opposite side of the doorframe. "He knows more about this stuff than me, I'm just… a bystander." He looked back at Aaravos. "Runaan's my friend and he's only trying to look out for me, even if he is a bit paranoid from time to time. I don't want to disrespect him, even if he's not here. It's called being-"

"A wet blanket." Aaravos nodded.

" _No_." Ethari narrowed his eyes. "Responsible."

"Sounds boring." Aaravos frowned, turning back to the mirror as if his reflection would depict something different from before despite not having gone anywhere. 

Ethari huffed and stood straight, leaving Aaravos to fuss over his own appearance. He paced the living room once, heading back to his bedroom to retrieve his phone before thinking better of it. He wound up in the guestroom he'd turned into a crafting room and flopped down into the padded spinning chair by the desk. He tilted his head back and let his eyes slide shut with a sigh.

 _"This stuff is dangerous,"_ Runaan's voice echoed the familiar words, first spoken in this room, within his head. _"I don't want you getting any more involved in this than you already are."_

 _"But I already am involved, aren't I?"_ Ethari had protested. _"Why not let me help? You know I can!"_

 _"No!"_ Ethari opened his eyes but it didn't make the memory of Runaan slamming his fist on the wall and stalking over to the desk any less vivid. _"You are a citizen, Ethari. A human. You have nothing to do with any of this. After this, we're through."_

Ethari's gaze traveled over the surface of the desk, resting on the spot where the magical girl's precious transformation jewels had laid after he'd fixed them. A knot twisted in his chest as his eyes slid shut again.

"Shit, Runaan…" He breathed, rubbing his temple.

Going to a dark magic party was a bad idea to say the least, but…

_If I go, I could learn something that'd help Runaan and Ibis in their mission._

The fleeting thought of _What could you learn that they don't already know?_ crossed his mind, but then again who would have better info on dark magic than a dark mage themself? He squinted at the wall in the dim light of his workroom, weighing the pros and cons in his head.

The sound of a knock pulled him from his thoughts.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Aaravos began coolly, standing in the doorway. "But there's a certain time frame where one can enter the venue…" His gaze trailed back to the main room before he looked back to Ethari and raised a brow.

Ethari watched Aaravos for a moment before letting out a deep sigh and pushing himself to his feet. "Fuck it, let's go."

Aaravos' face split with an eager grin. "Wonderful!"

The car ride was hell. Ethari was pretty sure he died and came back to life several times during it. Things were off to a… _start_ even before the car was turned on.

"Wear these." Aaravos had instructed, handing Ethari a pair of broad black sunglasses with thick arms and hooded frames. Upon putting them on, Ethari discovered that they had been painted black, lenses and all. "I figured you'd prefer these to a more traditional blindfold."

"Thanks," Ethari sighed. "You're so considerate..."

The rest of the car trip was agonizingly worse. To put it lightly; Aaravos was a shit driver. Though Ethari couldn't see what Aaravos was doing, he could feel every jerk of the wheel, every hit curb, and every lurch of the vehicle. He could hear every shriek of the tires and all the honking of the other cars and the shouts of their drivers. At one point the car began jostling him around and didn't cease until it gave one final lurch and all was still.

"Okay, you can take the glasses off now." Aaravos informed in a sing-song voice.

Ethari snatched the sunglasses off of his face and nearly threw them, half fallen out of his seat with one foot pressed against the glove compart while he clung to his seatbelt for dear life. " _Why..?_ " He wheezed breathlessly, scarcely audible.

They were in the middle of a forest now and there was considerably less daylight. Crickets chirped and a few fireflies flew near the bushes.

"We still have a little ways to go," Aaravos began, nudging Ethari's foot away with a smile and opening the glove compartment. "But we have to finish getting ready first."

" _Finish_?" Ethari echoed, twisting in his seat until he was sitting properly. "What were we doing at my house for so long then?"

Aaravos chuckled. "Getting ready." He pulled a small package from the glove compartment and set it between their seats. "This is just the finishing touch," He continued, opening the package and pulling out an ornate mask and silk gloves. "I did tell you I planned to take every precaution, didn't I?"

"What are these for?" Ethari quirked a brow, taking the accessories and looking them over. 

"It's a masquerade," Aaravos grinned. "And the gloves are for precaution." He pulled a second, much longer pair of gloves from the package and pulled them on with a wink as he added: "And to complete the look."

A smirk tugged at the corners of Ethari's mouth as he raised his brows. "Why'd you spend so much time on makeup if it's a masquerade?"

Aaravos frowned, adjusting the sleeves of his gloves. "Just put them on."

Ethari complied with a snicker, pulling on the gloves and mask that matched his outfit. "You really went all out for this, didn't you?" He commented, inspecting his reflection in the small mirror attached to the sun visor.

Aaravos adjusted his own mask before turning to Ethari. "Do you like it?" 

Though Ethari couldn't see all of Aaravos' expression from behind the silvery geometric mask he wore, he felt like he could sense a hint of hopefulness coming from the other man. Ethari allowed the smirk to claim his lips and finally relaxed a smidge. "Yeah, these outfits are way nicer than anything I could've imagined I'd ever wear."

Aaravos grinned then turned to take the wheel again with a smug look. "And you doubted me."

"Erm," Ethari began, eyes darting to the wheel as the small ounce of calmness he had felt vanished. "You know, it's pretty nice out, why don't we walk the rest of the way?"

"Says the man not wearing heels." Aaravos huffed, removing one hand from the wheel to grab the gearshift.

It took an immense amount of self-control for Ethari not to shriek as the car suddenly lurched backward. Aaravos, however, merely tutted softly at the vehicle like it were some beast then shifted the car into drive. This time the car lurched forward, proceeding to jostle it's occupants as it traversed the uneven forest floor. Ethari let his eyes roam the moon-lit scenery, trying to find some landmark he recognized, but nothing struck him as even vaguely familiar. He decided they were probably somewhere on the opposite side of Elarion from where he lived and were now roaming part of the large forest that circled most of the city. About fifteen minutes later the car lurched to a stop.

"We're here," Aaravos sang, grinning eagerly. "There are two jewels in the glove compartment, take them out and hand me one."

Ethari furrowed his brows and glanced around at their surroundings as he did as he was asked. "There's… nothing out here." He said slowly, passing Aaravos one of the purple stones he found in the glove compartment.

"You should know the answer to that riddle, Ethari." Aaravos mused. "Appearances are often deceiving." And with that, he bit into the jewel.

Ethari's eyes widened, memories of teal eyes turning green and sickly looking emeralds protruding from lilac skin obstructing his vision of the man before him as the sound of crunching stones and guttural growls echoed through his head.

"Don't!" Ethari cried, hands shooting out to grasp at the gem and pull it away before Aaravos could consume any more of it. "Spit it out! Don't eat it!"

Aaravos twisted his hands free from Ethari's grasp in one swift movement and grabbed his wrists, gently but firm. " _Ethari_ ," He said, voice even and calm as his sunflower eyes all but pierced the amber ones before him, a thin purple mist drifting from his lips. Ethari halted, but his heart continued to beat furiously. "These are not spawn gems."

"Wh…" Was all Ethari could manage, hands shaking within Aaravos' hold.

"These jewels," Aaravos continued softly, slowly picking up the remaining half of the jewel Ethari had taken from him. "Are connected to the moon arcanum." He held the stone up for Ethari to see. "Allow me to demonstrate?"

Ethari eyed the fractured stone for a long moment before hesitantly loosening his grip. "If you start sprouting jewels and hiss at people movie night is canceled indefinitely."

"Noted." Aaravos replied with a tilt of the head, that strange purple mist still drifting out of his mouth.

Ethari released his hand the rest of the way and Aaravos rolled the car windows down. He held the remaining gem fragment to his lips and spoke a word in the unfamiliar language Ethari had learned was called draconic. He blew on the crystal, purple mist pouring from his lips and turning the jewel into glittering dust that mingled with the mist and drifted out the window. The now shimmering mist grew in radius then fell upon the ground all at once before disappearing with a sparkling flourish. Ethari's eyes darted around the forest and over Aaravos' body, but nothing had changed.

"Your turn." Aaravos said, looking between Ethari and the purple jewel on his lap expectantly.

Ethari watched Aaravos for a moment more, searching for anything odd or unnatural, but nothing happened. Slowly, he lifted the second jewel from his lap and looked it over, inspecting its appearance as he turned it in his fingers. He glanced at Aaravos one final time before taking a deep breath. He brought the crystal to his mouth and bit down on it, cringing as he felt it splinter and shatter between his teeth. Thankfully the shards in his mouth seemed to disappear before they could cut or scratch his gums. He furrowed his brows, pushing his tongue around his mouth in search of the fragments that _should_ be there and finding nothing. He looked back to Aaravos who nodded with a patient smile. Wrinkling his nose, Ethari held the remaining portion of the crystal to his lips and repeated the foreign word Aaravos had spoken. Purple mist poured from his mouth, turning the rest of the crystal to shimmering dust then joining it and blowing out the window as it had before, but this time when the fog hit the ground the forest became illuminated. Ethari blinked at the sudden light, flinching in his seat as music and spices greeted his senses. He gasped at the sight before him, then choked on the remaining wisps of purple mist he had inhaled. 

Floating lanterns were scattered about and people roamed the forest up ahead where Ethari could have sworn up and down a thick grove of trees had just been. To one side of the vast clearing was an area that seemed to be the designated parking lot, but the rest of the space was where the party was at. Ethari could make out instruments and dancing, some sections tented off and others simply shaded with a fabric tarp suspended by trees or wooden poles. A transparent herd of alicorns galloped through the air, a series of cheers and other exclamations coming from the ground as the creatures made their way upward then burst into shimmering specks that faded to nothing.

"Holy shit…" Ethari breathed.

The car jerked into motion once more, snapping Ethari from his daze.

"See, I told you you'd like it," Aaravos grinned. "And we're not even parked yet!"

"Why couldn't we see this earlier?" Ethari managed, twisting in his seat in an attempt to see as much as he could.

"A cloaking spell, a sort of illusion," Aaravos explained, driving the car graciously slow as he eased through the parking area. "To dispel it you need to perform the right actions. In Xadia a dance is more typical, but anyone can learn a dance. Here, only those chosen can get their hands on one of those gems in order to perform the spell."

"Chosen?" Ethari repeated, turning back to Aaravos. "Chosen by who?" Then a second question hit him. "Wait, _spell?_ I just performed a _spell?"_

"Babies first spell," Aaravos sighed, looking away from the road- or lack thereof- to grin at Ethari. "I'm so proud."

Ethari's mouth dropped open. "But, but-" He stammered, struggling to pull his thoughts together. "I'm not a mage. Wait, does this _make me_ a mage?" He stared at Aaravos with wide eyes.

Aaravos chuckled warmly. "No, but we can take care of that later if you'd like."

The awestruck amazement that had filled Ethari from head to toe vanished in an instant, being replaced with a sinking feeling like he was chin deep in hot mud. What would Runaan say if he found out about this? 

_When_ _he finds out about this,_ Ethari reminded himself.

He sat back in his seat and looked around at his new surroundings in silence. The car gave one final jerk before coming to a stop. Aaravos moved to turn the vehicle off and Ethari nearly fell out of his seat in the effort to reach over and put the car into park first.

"Alright," Aaravos grinned, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning to Ethari. He looked the man over then leaned over to adjust his hat and smooth his coat. "Ready?"

Ethari blinked twice, looking out the passenger side window and fumbling with his seat belt. "I guess …"

"Remember: Don't tell anyone your name, your workplace… Don't hand out personal information, okay?" Aaravos fixed him with a stern look.

Ethari nodded slowly, fingers fiddling with his pocket square absentmindedly. "Got it."

"Good," Aaravos grinned again, reaching into the backseat and grabbing a shawl. "Let's go."

With a deep breath, Ethari opened the door and stepped out.

There were more fireflies here, Ethari noticed. They flew around, illuminating the venue like floating fairy lights. A hand on his shoulder pulled Ethari from his musings. Aaravos now stood at his side, shawl draped elegantly across his arms and back. He nodded toward the more populated area and began walking, guiding Ethari with a hand on the back of his shoulder. This only lasted about a minute though. Once they had crossed the threshold Ethari slowly drifted away, wandering around in awe as Aaravos watched with a satisfied smirk a few steps away. The space was sectioned off, one area filled with jazz music, another with classic rock, another with nothing but the muffled sounds of the party surrounding it. There were sections for just about every genre of music, stretching back as far as the eye could see. Each section had tables arranged along edges, a band positioned at one side and people dancing in the open space at the center. At the junction of it all was a wide, long walking space with a few tables positioned here and there. A series of long tables lined up throughout the center of the walking space held copious amounts of both familiar and exotic looking dishes and drinks. However, possibly the most attention grabbing thing was the people. They were dressed in beautiful clothing and wore stunning masks, and some cast spells that turned flower petals into butterflies or created beautiful translucent illusions, but the most striking thing about them were their skin and hair and, for some, their eyes. It was as if someone had drained the color from them in sporadic patterns. Some had black veins showing through their skin, others had blotches of different shades of grey and muted purple tones scattered about their flesh like jagged spiderwebs. Some had white streaks in their hair while others sported dull colors with splashes of gray or even the latter. And their _eyes_. Their eyes were dark, pupils clouded and scleras some shade of grey. Ethari slowed to a halt, watching people mill about for a long moment before slowly turning to Aaravos with wide eyes. Aaravos tilted his head in silent question but any sentence that had been forming in Ethari's head was lost at the sight of the mage before him. Aaravos' skin was now a purplish hue scattered with specks of white, his sclera solid black. He looked like something between an elf and a man.

"A-aaravos!" Ethari exclaimed, dashing over and beginning to remove his coat so he could toss it over his companion. Dark mages hated magical girls, and while Aaravos was no longer affiliated with Xadia he was still an elf.

But Aaravos chuckled easily and waved his hand with a shake of the head. "Don't worry, they've seen me like this plenty of times before."

"What… what's happened to everyone?" Ethari managed, pausing to glance himself over but finding his skin unmarked.

"Dark magic," Aaravos explained, pulling Ethari's coat back over his shoulders and straightening it. "It tends to leave a mark, a mark these courageous souls are forced to hide everywhere else. But not here," He grinned. "Here there is no need for such illusions and humility. Here one can be who they are without reprimand or fear." He reached up, index finger circling the rim of a floating lantern before nudging it higher into the air. Ethari watched, transfixed as the skin on Aaravos' hand gained the familiar night sky look of his elven form as it neared the light, then dulled as the lantern drifted away.

"The lanterns… are magic?" Ethari asked slowly, eyes flickering around before finally landing on Aaravos.

"Yes. See? You've caught on already."

"This place is…" Ethari let his gaze wander. "Are you sure it's alright for me to be here?"

"Of course," Aaravos said with a wave of the hand. "Just remember the rules and if anyone gives you trouble just tell them you're with me."

"Right, the rules… Don't give out personal information and don't get shitfaced." He shot Aaravos a smirk then paused. "What name do I give them? When I tell them who I came with or whatever."

"Starlight." Aaravos replied, smirking back.

"A man with a theme," Ethari nodded. "Nice."

"Go have fun," Aaravos chuckled before moving away. "I have some business to attend to, I'll meet up with you later."

"What?" Ethari spluttered. "You can't ditch me!"

"I'm not ditching you, don't worry. I'll come find you later, you can manage on your own until then."

Ethari narrowed his eyes as he watched Aaravos disappear amongst the people. " _'Ethari, come to this party with me,'_ " He mocked under his breath, waving his hands about. " _'It's no fun going to parties alone, weh.'_ " With a huff he folded his arms and looked around. Everyone was either dancing or socializing. "This is like a college party but with the vague potential of dying horribly… Shit, this is basically a college party, isn't it?" He frowned, looking around once more before pensively making his way to one of the snack tables. 

He located a fruit platter and spooned a few helpings onto his plate before drifting back to one of the fabric walls that separated the walkway from the sections filled with music and dancing. He ate a few pieces of fruit, eyes roaming, before he decided _Fuck it, everyone is with somebody and I'm charming enough._

He wandered about until he came across a section with no band or dancers, just a few tables populated by people chatting. He glanced around for an open seat before spotting one at a table where a group of four elderly people sat and laughed. Deciding mingling with a group of elders was the safest route, he put on his best smile and approached. 

"Uhm, hello! I, uh… my friend ditched me." He chuckled helplessly. "Could I sit with you?"

The group laughed before a man in a peacock mask nodded and gestured to the empty chair. "Go ahead."

"Thanks."

"Are you new?" A lady in a rabbit mask asked as Ethari sat down, eyes roaming what bits of exposed skin she could see.

"Oh, uhm, I've never been to one of these before if that's what you mean." Ethari couldn't help but look her over as well. With all due respect, she looked like a walking corpse. There wasn't an inch of this woman that Ethari could see that even bore a pigment that even remotely resembled a natural, nonetheless healthy, color.

"He's new." The lady in an ocean themed mask sitting next to her decided with a nod.

"How long have you been casting?" The second man asked.

"Oh, uhm…" Ethari furrowed his brows. "Uh… Define 'casting'?"

The group glanced at each other.

"Kidding," Ethari laughed anxiously, mind scrambling. "Sort of... Uhm, I've done some… _work_ with spawn jewels. If that counts."

The second man- who wore a tree themed mask- nodded with a hum. "My son used to dabble."

"Oh, that's nice." Ethari smiled. "Does he do spell casting now?"

"No," The man gruffed, dark eyes narrowing behind his mask. "Sun Shooter killed him."

"Oh, I…" Ethari struggled for words. He'd heard whispered stories of Sun Shooter, a magical girl who'd come and left Elarion before Ethari had moved there. "I'm so sorry."

The man shrugged with a huff, bringing his cup to his lips and taking a long drink.

"You have to be careful out there, honey," The woman in the ocean mask said, placing her hand atop Ethari's. "The world has it out for folks like us."

"The world has it out for everyone," Bunny mask exclaimed. "That's why there's folks like us!"

Tree mask gave a grunt of agreement, raising his cup as if silently cheering a toast before bringing it back to his mouth and draining the cup of its contents. The other three laughed and Ethari laughed along with them, unsure of what else to do.

"What got you interested in dark magic?" Peacock mask asked once the laughter had died down. "Or into the jewels at least."

"Oh, uhm," Ethari wracked his mind. "Uh… My friend." He announced slowly. "He got… tangled up with magical girl junk and it went sour back in college. I never realized it though, not until recently…"

This time, tree mask guy placed his hand on Ethari's. "God rest his soul…" He grumbled.

"Thank you…" Ethari bit the inside of his lip.

"I _can not_ believe there's _three_ magical girls in Elarion," Bunny mask sighed with a shake of the head. "We never had such a thing back in my day."

"It's these new mages," Peacock mask frowned. "They're more reckless." A pause before he looked to Ethari. "No offense."

Ethari shook his head, holding up a hand. "None taken."

"You made a smart choice coming here tonight," Ocean mask stated. "The city isn't even safe for rookies on this night." There was a communal murmur of agreement. "I'm curious how you got here, though." The lady continued, tilting her head. "You've never cast a spell before, haven't you?"

"Technically you're not a mage." Bunny mask nodded.

"A novice at best." Tree mask huffed.

"Oh, yeah, uhm… I came here with Starlight."

Their eyes widened behind their masks.

" _Starlight?_ " Ocean mask echoed.

"Can you introduce me?" Bunny mask pressed, leaning forward.

Peacock mask swatted her arm.

"I didn't know he brought people along anymore..." Tree mask grumbled, eyeing Ethari. "He must see great potential in you."

"Uh, thanks." Ethari fiddled with the hem of his coat. "You guys know him?"

" _Everybody_ knows Starlight." Bunny mask informed, the others nodding once more.

"He's the greatest dark mage around." Ocean mask agreed.

"This whole thing was his boyfriend's idea, actually." Peacock mask spoke up. "Back in the day."

"His _boyfriend?_ " Ethari repeated, eyes wide. "Aar- Starlight has a boyfriend?"

Ocean mask shrugged. "Maybe? The fellow hasn't shown in a long time."

"Do you think they broke up?" Bunny mask whispered.

" _Margret_." Peacock mask hissed.

"That's the thing about mages," Tree mask began slowly, steering the conversation back on track. "Sometimes they just… _disappear._ "

Ethari didn't need to put any effort into nodding along with the others this time. It was a solemn truth everyone knew, magic pursuer or not.

"I had no idea…" Ethari murmured, eyes downcast.

"Don't get too beat up about it," Ocean mask squeezed his shoulder. "Everybody knows somebody who's disappeared. That's just life."

Another communal nod and murmur of agreement.

The conversation got a bit more lighthearted from there. They chatted about different spots around town and tips on evading patrols. Ethari didn’t discover any game changing info on dark magic, but talking with them was still pleasant- not to mention better than wandering around alone. It still felt odd though, chatting with these dark mages. He learned that most of them had retired.

"I have a grandson to look after now," Bunny mask had said. "I can't have the authorities watching me if I'm to raise him. That's no environment for a child."

"If you don't do dark magic anymore why'd you come here?" Ethari asked.

"Once a dark mage, always a dark mage." Bunny mask mused. "It doesn't matter how long it's been since your last spell, some things never leave you."

"Like the mark by your name!" Ocean mask exclaimed, flailing her hands in exasperation and nearly knocking over her fifth wine glass in the process.

"Mark?" Ethari questioned, nudging the glass out of her reach with a nod of approval from peacock mask guy.

"If you're suspected of being a mage they mark you." Tree mask gruffed.

"It's a sort of watch list," Peacock mask elaborated. "Not much rhyme or reason to it, at least in Elarion. Other cities are more organized, but here the authorities suspect nearly every one of being a mage."

“Don’t get me started on the absurdities when someone fits their ‘profile’.” Bunny mask moaned, leaning back in her seat with a heavy frown.

"Elarion does have a decent amount of dark mages," Tree mask murmured, hardly audible. "Somethin' about this city…" 

"But they mark people as early as grade school." Peacock mask continued.

"Profiling." Ocean mask nodded, leaning across the table in an attempt to retrieve her wine glass.

"They mark most newcomers, too." Bunny mask frowned, taking the wine glass and drinking it. "Pretty much everyone and anyone."

"You're kidding…" Ethari murmured, gears in his head turning as he sifted through the new information. Runaan and Ibis probably already knew all this, or at least had a good idea about it considering Ibis’ relationship with Elarion’s head police chief, but Ethari hadn't had a clue.

"Not kidding," Ocean mask huffed, swatting bunny mask in frustrated defeat. "You'll get wiser with age."

"Or with the right spell." Peacock mask chuckled.

The others laughed and Ethari laughed along with them before excusing himself to fetch a drink.

The walkway was filled with people chatting and casting small spells. Ethari watched the scenes as he roamed in search of a punch bowl or something but stopped in his tracks as someone caught his eye. He had long white hair- like _long_ , long hair the color of clouds- that’s what caught his attention, but what got him to stop moving was when the man turned around. Ethari stared into striking teal eyes and his brain ceased to function for a moment as dread filled his system.

_Shit._

Forgetting the reason he’d left the quiet area to begin with, he turned and briskly walked through the nearest entryway in a rushed attempt to escape that cool gaze. Despite merely being sectioned off by large sheets, the music was noticeably louder once he passed the threshold. His mind reeled as he wove his way deeper into the space. There was no way that could be Runaan, right? Why would a magical girl go to a dark mage party? He slowed his pace and glanced back to the entrance, swallowing anxiously. He came to a stop and watched it for a moment longer before allowing his body to lose tension as he sighed. The long haired man hadn’t followed. If it were Runaan, he’d be chasing him down to ask a million questions, Ethari was sure of that much. He turned back to his surroundings and straightened his coat, but he still felt uneasy. With a shake of the head, he made his way back towards the exit of the music filled area.

“Pardon me.” A familiar voice spoke.

Ethari stumbled back, exclaiming a fowl word under his breath as the long haired man all but came out of the shadows, blocking the exit. He wore slim fitting, high waisted trousers of a deep, earthy blue color, a shirt that was a softer hue of the same color, and a navy blue sort of half cloak that stopped halfway down his thigh, embroidered with swirling bright blue, swirling lines. It covered his left arm but left the right one visible. His mask resembled the upper half of a cat's face, although this cat had three eyes, the third a stormy blue gem embedded in the mask while the two that belonged to the mask's wearer were slightly different in color. Both were teal, but his right eye was just a touch darker than the left, hardly noticeable unless one was standing almost chest to chest with the man and staring him in the eyes like Ethari was currently. He took a sharp breath and stepped back, turning his face away from the other man in fear of being recognized. Ethari, on the other hand, knew those eyes by heart.

“ ‘Scuse me…” He managed, dropping his voice ridiculously low and cringing.

Runaan merely watched with a hum, tilting his head as Ethari tried to maneuver around him without looking at him. He almost made it, too, but then a hand was placed on the frame of the exit. Ethari nearly walked into his forearm, stumbling back and staring at the fabric of his sleeve with wide, anxious eyes. And then Runaan moved _closer_ , fierce eyes looking him over.  
  
“Didn’t hats like that die off in the ’60s?” He asked, aquatic flames resting on Ethari’s face.

“Uhm…” Ethari blinked several times, fumbling for a response as he subconsciously reached for his hat. “Actually-” He flinched and dropped his voice the same ludicrous amount as before. “Actually, I’ve seen a platypus wear one similar to it on TV.”  
  
“...Platypus?”

Ethari couldn’t help but smirk and glance at Runaan's face which so excellently displayed confusion despite being half concealed. “Yes, a platypus. A secret agent platypus, to be exact.”

Runaan stared at him for a long moment and Ethari could practically see the gears turning in his head. “...Right.” He paused a second more before straightening and tilting his head again. “A secret agent, hm? Does that make you a spy?”

“Maybe. You should be careful.” Ethari grinned then glanced away, mentally cursing himself for using his normal voice.

Runaan hummed and Ethari found himself looking at him again, Runaan’s hand on his chin to gently turn his head to face him.  
“Maybe,” He replied, eyes boring into him as his hand left Ethari’s chin and slid down his chest part way. “But I’m quite good at handling danger.” Then his hand found Ethari’s. “Dance?”

Ethari stammered, struggling for a coherent thought. Runaan watched him struggle for a moment before leading him to the designated dance floor. He released Ethari’s hand momentarily to guide his other to his back and then guided him into a slow dance resembling a waltz. Ethari’s mind spun as he fought to make heads and tails of his situation. Did Runaan recognize him? Was he upset with him? He watched the man before him for any signs or clues as to what was going through the other's head. 

“So…” Runaan began slowly, eyes soft yet sharp. “Can I ask what a man like you is doing in a place like this, or would that be too cliche?”

Ethari stared at him for several seconds before bursting into laughter, then laughed some more. Multiple people glanced over with inquisitive looks as the anxiety in his chest bubbled out in strident laughter. Runaan slowed their dance to a halt and Ethari buried his face in his shoulder, muffling his laughter until the outburst died away.  
  
“I didn’t know I was that funny…” Runaan murmured.

Ethari broke into another fit of giggles but quickly corrected himself and stood up straight. He studied Runaan’s face for a moment with a crooked smile but no words left his lips. Runaan tilted his head and led Ethari back into their dance, watching him in quiet questioning.

“Erm… What are _you_ doing in a place like this?” Ethari finally managed, chuckling slightly.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” Runaan retorted with a smirk, stepping back and raising his arm to spin Ethari. 

Ethari ducked his head as he spun under their hands, and smirked at the sight of Runaan’s feet- He was standing on his tiptoes in order to give Ethari space to move. When they returned to swaying and stepping to and fro to the music, Ethari couldn’t help but grin.  
  
“Have you found something else amusing?” Runaan asked, tilting his head once more.

“I have.” Ethari allowed, abandoning the ridiculous voice. This was Runaan he was with, there was no reason to be nervous. Even if he were upset with him, there’d never been a conflict they couldn’t surpass.

“Feel like sharing?”  
  
Ethari hummed in thought, sliding his hand down Runaan’s back until it rested on his waist, feeling the other man tense under his touch. “No, not now at least.” He watched in amusement as Runaan visibly struggled to form a sentence.

“Oh.” Was all he said.

Ethari chuckled softly, taking the lead in their dance. “Do you come to these things often?” He asked after a moment.

Runaan seemed to blink back to life. “Ah, uh, no.”

“Really? First time?”

“What?”

“Is this your first time at one of these parties? I’ve never been before.” He let his gaze wander a bit as he soaked in the subtle uses of magic- Floating lanterns, transparent glowing butterflies, instruments playing by themselves as a lady sang a cover of Michael Bublee.

“Hm, good.” Runaan seemed to regain some of his composure for a moment, attempting to reclaim the lead.

Ethari tutted softly and tugged him closer. “You’re always so tense,” He chided. “This is a party, relax.”

A frown tugged at Runaan’s lips. “What are you doing here?” He whispered.

“It’s a party.” Ethari shrugged.

“How did you hear of it?” Runaan narrowed his eyes.  
  
“...Tell me your name.” Ethari countered, watching as confusion flickered through those ocean eyes.

“What?”

“Your name.” Ethari repeated. “I came here with Starlight,” He finally informed when it became clear Runaan was refusing to respond. “It’s no fun going to parties alone.”

“ _Starlight?”_ Runaan repeated, disgust dripping from his tongue.

“Yes, Starlight. Now tell me your name.”

Runaan narrowed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment. “Moonchild.”

A smirk tugged at Ethari’s lips. “Moonchild, huh?”

Runaan lifted his chin indignantly.

“Well, Moonchild, you can call me Moonlight.”

“Moonlight?”

“Yes, Moonlight.” He paused. “Are you going to leave?”

“Leave?”

Ethari nodded, glancing to the side. “Uhm… The friend I came with sort of ditched me, but I like dancing with you. I know you probably have someplace to be or something to do, but… Stay a little longer?”

“You…” Whatever Runaan intended to say was left on his tongue, his grip gently tightening on Ethari’s hand.

“You don’t have to,” Ethari continued quickly. “I’ve been chatting with these old people and they’re pretty nice.”

Runaan blinked several times and slowly frowned. “I’d rather you spend the night with me.” He flinched, moving away as if he’d just touched a flame. “I mean-” His sentence was cut short by him tripping over his own feet and falling backward.

Ethari moved forward and quickly caught him, one hand pulling on the fabric of the front of his shirt and the other firmly grasping his back. Runaan stared up at him with wide eyes, a pinkish hue coloring his ears.

A soft chuckle escaped Ethari's lips. He moved his hands to hold Runaan more securely, one hand on his lower back and the other at the base of his head. "I like seeing you dance." Ethari murmured, dipping low as bright eyes flared before him.

"You… do?" Runaan all but whispered as if the question was something that shouldn't be spoken.

"I do," Ethari straightened, guiding Runaan back to his feet until they were chest to chest. "You always seemed to like dancing. I… I guess I missed seeing you dance."

Runaan's hand grasped the back of his coat, gaze fluttering to the ground. "You did?"

Ethari nodded, teal eyes on him once more. Runaan seemed to study him for a moment, or do some sort of equation in his head. His eyes had a softness to them but that constant sharpness they held kept whatever else was running through his mind at bay. At least for a long moment it did. The hard edge in his features slipped almost completely all of a sudden, his lips parting slightly.

"Dance with me?" He breathed.

Something warm blossomed in Ethari's chest and fluttered in his stomach as a smile claimed his lips. "I'd love to."

Ethari couldn't say how long they danced for. All the noise and other people simply faded into the background as he and Runaan moved too and fro in each others arms. A small smile tugged the corners of Runaan's mouth upwards and the tension his body always carried seemed to melt away. The state of the man in Ethari's arms made him want to hold on all the more, to turn away anything or anyone that dared to even think of tarnishing it. The words "Runaan" and "relaxed" never went into the same sentence, yet here he was, smiling up at Ethari with his eyes on him instead of moving around in search of threats, and leaning into Ethari's hold, all his focus on the man before him. At one point they simply held each other and swayed, heads resting on each other's shoulders. Ethari worshipped every second, relishing in every touch and breath against his neck, adoring every murmured word and soft laugh. But as one of Murphy's laws totally says, all good things must come to an end. 

He felt Runaan still in his arms, lips brushing his ear. "Your friend is back."

Ethari turned his head towards the entrance in time to see Aaravos walk in, eyes scanning the room. He felt Runaan slip out of his arms, touch lingering, but by the time Ethari turned back around Runaan had disappeared.

"There you are," Aaravos' voice drifted into his senses. "Having fun?"

Ethari blinked several times, refocusing as he faced Aaravos. "Uh, yeah."

Aaravos tilted his head, gaze wandering the space Ethari had been staring at. "Were you with someone?"

"Yeah, sort of." Ethari chuckled helplessly, rubbing at the back of his head.

"Oh dear, I'm interrupting aren't I?" Aaravos studied his face.

Ethari reluctantly shrugged, watching Runaan slip out of the area around Aaravos' arm. The Startouch frowned, turning to see what he was looking at now. 

Ethari took Aaravos' hand in his own and pulled the taller man into a dance before he had a chance to glimpse at the white hair disappearing around the suspended sheets. 

"You ditched me." He huffed.

Aaravos returned his gaze to the man in front of him, allowing himself to be led into the dance. "Apologies, I tried to make it quick."

"How'd your 'business' go?"

Aaravos sighed, his eyes somehow dim despite the gentle lantern light illuminating the area. "The same as every leap year…"

"Were you looking for your boyfriend?" Ethari asked before wincing, smiling sheepishly at the shocked look that came over Aaravos' face. "Sorry, I don't mean to… Somebody mentioned-"

Aaravos shook his head, regaining composure. "No, no, it's fine. I wasn't looking for him, I know where he is." A glance to the side and another soft frown. "He wasn't exactly my boyfriend either."

"He wasn't?" Ethari quirked a brow. "What was he then? If you don't mind me asking that is."

A soft huff of a laugh escaped Aaravos' lips, his gaze drifting downward. "He and I…" He looked back to Ethari and gave him a melancholy smile. "Let's just say I was his Lotus Blossom."

Several people nearby glanced over at the mention of the magical girl, but Ethari did his best to ignore them and instead decipher the meaning of Aaravos' words. "Which makes him your… rival?"

Warm laughter bubbled from the dark mage. "No, dear, not in the slightest."

"Your… Dark Wing?"

"Oh my stars, you're dense…" Aaravos shook his head as if to shake away the topic. "It's not important- not for you, at least. But tonight you are here, so what would you like to do? Have you tried the food?"

"Uhm, I had some fruit?" Ethari frowned slightly, not wanting to drop the topic but not wanting to force Aaravos to discuss it either if he didn't want to.

Aaravos clicked his tongue. "You're at a magical gathering with recherché catering and you fetched yourself a fruit plate? Was it at least Xadian fruit?"

" _Xadian_ fruit?" Ethari spluttered.

Aaravos chuckled, stepping out of the dance and tugging Ethari along with him. "Come, humans seem to love the stuff."

Aaravos was right, Xadian food was _delicious_ , but for some reason the elf seemed to take almost no interest in it beyond Ethari’s reactions. They spent the rest of the night together, dancing, eating, and chatting with the elderly mages Ethari had met. Apparently there was a system for dispersing after the party was over. Aaravos tried to explain it to Ethari but Aaravos had also drank a considerable amount of Moscato so his explanation was more a series of gestures than it was actual words. They wound up taking a nap in some secluded corner of the venue until it was their turn to leave. The ride home was the same as the ride over, perilous and treacherously long, and once they finally made it back to Ethari's house it was nearly four AM. Ethari went to his room and changed out of the formal attire Aaravos had provided and into something comfortable. Aaravos changed into the clothes he had arrived in then spent nearly half an hour washing off his makeup before helping Ethari wash off his own. They fell asleep on the couch at some point, not waking up until half-past three. Ethari made them a late brunch then helped Aaravos put everything in the car. Ethari now lay sprawled out on his couch, Aaravos having left some time ago. His hand gripped his cellphone within his pocket, finger tracing its edges in thought. With a deep breath, he pulled it out and dialed the landline for the apartment Ibis and Runaan shared.

"Hello?" Ibis' voice asked from the receiver after several rings.

"Hey, it's me," Ethari sat up. "Is Runaan there."

"Ah, hello Ethari, let me go get him."

"Thanks."

"Runaan," Ibis' voice was now muffled by distance. "You have a phone ca- Not that vile!"

There was the sound of the phone hitting the wall and several more distant thuds before all was quiet save for some muffled bickering Ethari couldn't make out.

"Hello?" Runaan's voice sighed after a handful of seconds.

"Hey," Ethari couldn't help but smirk a little. "Busy day?"

"Ethari," There was the sound of a door closing. "How are you?"

"Honestly? Tired. I haven't stayed out that late in ages."

"Coffee," Runaan replied like it was the answer to everything. "Though I suppose you're not the biggest coffee fan."

Ethari hummed. "Not really, maybe if I add enough sweetener…"

He could practically feel Runaan role his eyes on the other end of the phone.

"I wanted to talk about last night," He continued. "I just… we're cool, right? You're not mad at me for going there?”

"Well I'd hardly say I'm pleased." Runaan said slowly before sighing. "Did anything happen?"

"Nope," Ethari reported, relief beginning to settle into him. "I ate food, danced with you, and chatted with these old people. They were nice, told me the best methods for knitting sweaters." He paused. "Maybe I'll knit a sweater for Ibis' cat, she seems to like soft things."

"Moon above, don't," Runaan exclaimed softly. "If he gets too attached to the thing he might never take it to a shelter."

"Hasn't he already named it?"

A sigh of confirmation. "It's a miracle the landlord hasn't kicked us out."

"I'm pretty sure she think she had a thing for Ibis, that's probably your saving grace."

"Moon above…"

Ethari laughed, leaning back into the couch. "So… you're not mad with me?"

Another sigh. "As I said, I'm not happy, but you always seem to find a way to get yourself in these situations so I suppose-"

"Don't blame yourself," Ethari cut him off. "For me getting involved in this stuff, I mean. It's my fault for not asking more questions when Aaravos offered to take me to a party."

"I thought yesterday was supposed to be movie night anyways?" Runaan huffed.

"Yeah…"

"Ethari…" Runaan broke the silence that had settled between them. "You… Be careful."

Ethari let out a soft chuckle. "Careful? But I'm quite good at handling danger."

Runaan tsked. "Ethari-"

"Dance?"

"...What?"

"There are some places around town I know, far more casual attire but still fun. Want to go sometime?" Another silence. "Runaan?"

"Yes," Runaan's voice finally came. "But…"

"Right, your job… Sorry."

"No, don't- don't apologize, I… I'll let you know."

"Let me know?"

"Yes, I'll let you know when I'm available to go to one of these 'places around town' with you. Does that work…?" The question he ended with came out soft and Ethari couldn't help but smile.

"Perfect."

A shorter silence. 

"Bye." And then Runaan hung up.

Ethari blinked, looking at his phone with raised brows. He chuckled after a moment, falling sideways to lay on his couch once more and held his phone to his chest. It was bittersweet, knowing once Runaan did his job he'd likely never see them again. Knowing that hurt if he was being honest, but dancing with Runaan never hurt. Chatting with him and going for walks- spending time with him felt good. If there couldn't be a Happily Ever After there could still be a Happy Now, right?


End file.
